The all-new Bentley Torcal has made its Asian debut, unveiled in Seoul, at the Khan Studio in Seongbuk District, a unique space that includes this series of old swimming pools. This is the first Asian appearance of this all-electric bold new expression of Bentley luxury and the location is a nod to Bentley’s intention to attract younger buyers to the brand as it is a celebrity hotspot that frequently hosts major commercial and production shoots for top-tier K-pop groups.
The Asia debut also coincides with 20 years of Bentley Motors Korea’s direct presence in South Korea and the unveiling was attended by Bentley Chairman and Chief Executive Frank-Steffen Walliser, Board Member for Sales and Marketing Christophe Georges, Director of Design Robin Page, and Regional Director for Asia Pacific Dave Hayter, underscoring the market’s importance to Bentley’s long-term growth in the region.
The all-new Torcal is a Bentley first and foremost. In every aspect of its design, technology, craftsmanship, materials and sustainability it is a template for future Bentleys, regardless of powertrain. Torcal will be offered in two distinct expressions: the core model (the Sequin Blue Torcal pictured) that comes standard with satin silver brightware, a single tone colour split and Open Pore Crown Cut Walnut. The more sporting Torcal S (the silver Torcal pictured) that matches the additional performance available with a suite of visual changes for a more sporting aesthetic. A quick side note, the Sequin Blue – by Mulliner was created as a special request from a customer to match the colour of a sequin on her favourite dress, this bespoke rich shade is now available across the whole Bentley range.
The core Torcal model will launch with 821 PS and 1,194 Nm peak torque, capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and reaching a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The S version goes further, with 888 PS (653kW) and 1,350 Nm when Launch Control is active, delivering a 2.8 second sprint from 0-100 km/h in 2.9 secs and a top speed of 162 mph (260 km/h).
The both versions feature a pair of powerful permanent magnet synchronous motors and a high voltage battery consists of 192 lithium-ion pouch cells in series, running at 800V nominal, with a total net capacity of 113 kWh. The battery is covered by a 160,000 mile, 10-year warranty. The claimed driving range is up to 600 km of range, and a 10–80 per cent charge can take as little as 16 minutes at 400 kW.
Fully active suspension – for the first time on a Bentley – and adaptive two-valve dampers deliver a true ‘magic carpet’ ride, while allowing a choice of chassis tune for each driving mode. Each damper can be actively and independently raised or lowered instantaneously, reacting to both road and driver inputs for maximum ride comfort and body control. The system negates the need for anti-roll bars, using the reactive dampers to provide infinitely adjustable anti-roll torque. Agility is further increased by the fitment of electronic All Wheel Steering as standard, using rear steering angles up to five degrees to reduce the turning circle to 11.1 metres.
The Torcal’s choice of drive modes extends far beyond chassis and powertrain settings to create a fresh interpretation of luxury – shaping every journey around how the vehicle’s occupants want to feel. Four different Experience Modes bring light, sound, climate, air flow and digital information together in harmony, to support different moods, moments and states of mind.
Warm, dynamic and perfectly balanced, Bentley Mode blends comfort and craftsmanship, creating an environment that feels refined yet unmistakably driver-focused. Meanwhile Comfort Mode creates a calmer environment with a minimum of distraction, encouraging a gentler pace with the option of a digital detox with all but the most essential information hidden to allow attention to move away from screens, with orange chosen as the colour depicting it, reflecting the comfort felt from a fire place or beautiful sunset.
The most dynamic setting within the four modes is Sport. Here, the soundtrack becomes more immersive, visual cues become more focused and the ambience expressed in blue lighting and control response grows increasingly purposeful. Blue was chosen because there is scientific evidence that it energises people whereas red makes us angry. The fourth mode is called Refresh. As the name suggests, fresh-air circulation is increased, lighting becomes brighter and the atmosphere feels lighter, cleaner and more invigorating, recharging mind and spirit.
The human elements of the Torcal are what I really love. For instance, the rhythm of a Bentley V8 is central to its appeal, so Bentley created a human-generated soundtrack using drums, viola and bass guitar to create the Bentley Dynamic Symphony, complete with subtle variations and tiny imperfections. Also one of the indicator sound options is a recording taken in Bentley’s upholstery workshops of a hammer striking a leather surface. Even the touchscreen and digital assistant note has a human touch – literally – it’s taken from the sound of a finger running across the rim of a crystal glass. There’s even a real birdsong recording incorporated into the soundscape.
From resting pulse to full-throttle acceleration, the Torcal’s soundtrack provides aural feedback to the driver, underscoring the sense of connection and feedback, rather than simply imitating an engine note. The potent, powerful, low-frequency sound is calibrated in response to driver torque demand and vehicle speed. This improves the sensory feedback in connection to the vehicle behaviour and provides a predictable driver feedback to aid consistent and confident vehicle control. The volume of the Dynamic Symphony increases when the car is in Sport mode and can also be turned off completely if silence is preferred.
Led by Design Director Robin Page, the in-house design team at Crewe has created a low, sleek SUV that introduces a bold new design language, rooted in Bentley’s DNA.
“When we design a Bentley, we consider how people naturally perceive an object. You don’t experience a car all at once. There is a hierarchy to what you see and understand, which we describe through four ‘reads’,” commented Robin Page at the launch event.
The first read is proportion. Torcal’s long wheelbase, short overhangs and proud frontal aspect create a powerful stance and embody ‘upright elegance’ think a thorough bred horse pulling up with that upright confidence. Combined with the principle of an ‘endless bonnet’, these elements emphasise the car’s length, presence and unmistakable Bentley character and at five metres in length, it’s the shortest four-door in the Bentley model line-up yet. According to Mr Page one of the advantages of an EV platform is the larger cabin space that designers can work with. This includes a 460-litre boot supplemented by a 90 litre front storage area.
The second read focuses on the car’s graphical elements, establishing identity and expression, particularly through the face. Echoes of iconic Bentleys, notably the Continental T, are reinterpreted through advanced lighting technology and a distinctive illuminated diamond grille. The grille has three diamond designs, creating multiple surfaces, and at night they float in a sea of blackness. The Torcal is also the first Bentley to feature Bentley’s redesigned and modernised emblem, revealed last year.
Diamonds are present when you open the front doors with an illumination extending down the length of the vehicle. The puddle lights also feature a twinkling Bently emblem that is constantly moving. While at the rear, clean, uncluttered graphics create the ‘prestigious shield’, a design principle first explored with the EXP 15 Concept Car.
Authentic elements have also been worked into the interior graphics with Bentley collaborating with a crystal company to capture how light moves through crystal glass, including the imperfections that this creates. One of the Easter Eggs of the Torcal is every couple of weeks a hand will appear in the graphics to remind customers of the handcrafted story behind this extraordinary vehicle.
The third read is surface language – the sculpture, volumes and the way light interacts with the car as the viewer moves around it. The Torcal deliberately reduces unnecessary lines, allowing its surfaces and proportions to create emotion and character. This is most evident in the powerful rear haunches. The cabin tapers towards the rear, allowing the body to build over the rear wheels and creating what the design team describes as the ‘resting beast’ – a sense of strength and energy contained within the sculpture.
The fourth read is detail, revealing another layer of craftsmanship as occupants get closer to the car. The diamond pattern becomes a recurring thread throughout the Torcal, sometimes clearly expressed and elsewhere abstracted into surfaces, textures and patterns.
The same philosophy continues inside. The dashboard architecture remains inspired by the Bentley wings creating symmetry, power and balance whilst the touchscreen is curved to create the perfect scrolling pressure point that follows the axis of your finger movement for more accurate selections. These are combined with dynamic interior lighting that softly moves in the door panels and wraps around the occupants to create a cocoon.
Knurled controls and reinterpreted bullseye air vents celebrate Bentley’s ‘magical fusion’ of craft and technology. Physical controls remain within the centre console and steering wheel, providing tactility for functions occupants naturally want to touch. With Bentley taking feedback from their customer base that physicality of controls are very important to them.
The design of the Torcal’s seats is all new and packed with technology and all leather hides used to upholster the Torcal are naturally free of the insect bites that could otherwise leave blemishes in the leather, as they use hides hand-picked from herds that graze high above sea level in Northern Europe. The standard seats include 16-way adjustment, heating, ventilation, adjustable bolsters and a new massage function. Bentley’s recent and innovative Postural Adjust and Smart Seat Climate systems are included as options, maximising seat comfort over long distances by continuously adjusting the seat’s shape to subtly alter pressure distribution, and by adjusting heating and ventilation to control the occupant’s temperature to a desired setpoint. For the dedicated Wellness Seat Specification, the massage system now extends from the squab into the cushion, meaning legs as well as back and shoulders can be massaged.
To the rear, the three-occupant seat introduces a power fold system for the first time in a Bentley. The Torcal has three rear tether and two ISOFix child seat anchor points with a fold down arm rest with cup holders. There’re dual mode climate controls for temperature, air speed and mode with two central air vents and B Pillar vents and below the climate controls are three USB-C ports. A new Frosted Diamond switchable-glass sunroof brings greater flexibility to the cabin experience, allowing customers to tailor light and atmosphere in a way that feels both practical and luxurious.
Adding another layer of convenience and helping interactions with the Torcal feel more effortless and considered it has four radar-controlled powered doors can self-open and close, Closing of the doors can be initiated by the respective passenger putting on their seat belt or via the main touchscreen, while the driver can close their door by applying pressure to the brake pedal.
For generations, Bentley has set the benchmark for interior craftsmanship in the finest materials. The Torcal extends the palette of choice, introducing innovative materials, sustainable thinking and meticulous attention to detail that together redefine automotive luxury.
Merino wool has long been celebrated for its softness, warmth and natural elegance in the world of fashion, but has hitherto lacked the durability required for an automotive interior. Now, in collaboration with Fox Brothers, a Somerset firm that has been weaving fine wool fabrics since the 18th century, Bentley’s Colour, Materials and Finish team has developed the world’s first 100% Merino wool automotive fabric, bringing a new dimension of warmth and comfort to the interior. It is the first automotive wool fabric to achieve certification by the Responsible Wool Standard and is used on the headlining, doors, and on the back of the front seats.
A new finish developed for Torcal, Ombré Walnut by Mulliner, is formed from up to 1,000 individually selected layers of sustainably sourced walnut off-cuts and craft (recycled) paper, carefully pressed together and then sliced to less than a millimetre in thickness. Four distinct walnut shades flow naturally from deep black through dark smoke and light smoke, creating a striking expression of sustainable modern luxury rooted in traditional craftsmanship and this element is Mr Page’s favourite feature of the all-new Torcal.
Another finish to make its debut, Sunburst Aluminium by Mulliner, reinterprets the engine-turned aluminium dashboards of Bentleys past. Its tactile, precision, three-way brush pattern shows the precision and attention to detail of Bentley craftsmanship in a fresh light.
For a stunning interior colour palette, 15 different shades of olive tan leather – including the new hues of Teal, Terra and Glaze – are joined by 15 matching shades of Dinamica, and the pure Merino wool in five colours. Six wood veneer options are supplemented by two technical finishes and six Piano finishes (Black, Gravity Grey, Linen, Teal, Imperial Blue and Cricket Ball).
The Torcal is offered with two audio systems, starting with a 620W, 16-speaker system. Beyond that, in conjunction with Naim, the Torcal is available with a 1,780W, 28-speaker package that includes kinaesthetic seat shakers and front headrest speakers, along with Dolby Atmos 7.1.
The latest ADAS technologies provide both advanced driving and parking features to make the driving experience easier and more intuitive. A set of 25 radars, sensors and cameras around the car provide it with all the data it needs to interact with its surroundings. For example, the car is constantly scanning its environment, meaning that if an obstacle is encountered on a narrow road, the car is capable of automatically reversing to a point it’s already identified to allow the obstacle to pass. The car has assistance systems for towing, garage and parallel parking, helping to avoid damage to wheel rims, and remote parking via App – while precise parking manoeuvres can also be ‘trained’ into the car.
Facial recognition allows easy driver identification to quickly and seamlessly load their user preferences including seat and steering wheel position, ADAS preferences and many more settings. The user’s mobile phone can also be configured to behave like the car’s key (aka Mobile Device Key), allowing full functionality and access rights.
The design of a Bentley, the sound of a Bentley and the way it is crafted create a unique emotive bond between human and machine. Every aspect of the Torcal’s design, engineering, technology and craftsmanship has been developed to evoke those emotions. It combines advanced technology and timeless craftsmanship for a fresh expression of the human connection at the heart of every Bentley.
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.