The Torcal SUV, launched in London on Wednesday, retains styling features from Bentley’s combustion-engine models, including diamond-shaped lights inspired by the traditional front grille, Reuters reported.
The company has also sought to reproduce some of the sensory experience of a V8 engine. The Torcal features a soundtrack based on orchestral timpani, with additional drums that accelerate as the vehicle gains speed.
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“Our intention was always to make a Bentley first,” Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser told Reuters. “We feel people are not asking for a completely different car just because it’s electric.”
The Torcal starts at £173,000 ($230,000), placing it toward the lower end of Bentley’s model range. That makes it considerably less expensive than Ferrari’s first EV, the Luce, which starts at €550,000 ($628,000).
Walliser described the Torcal as a “more affordable Bentley” that could help the company reach new markets.
The launch comes as ultra-luxury automakers take different approaches to the transition to electric vehicles. Ferrari has already introduced its first EV, while Rolls-Royce, owned by BMW, is also selling an electric model.
Lamborghini, another Volkswagen Group brand, has delayed its first EV until the end of the decade, while Britain’s McLaren said last week that it currently had no plans to launch an EV, citing limited customer demand.
Bentley itself previously postponed its first EV launch until 2026 and abandoned a target of becoming fully electric by 2030, saying customers were not yet ready to make the transition.
The company said it has been presenting the Torcal to existing and prospective customers, with strong interest reported in Europe, the Middle East and US states with relatively high EV adoption. Bentley plans to begin a launch campaign in China next year.
About half of the interest in the new model has come from existing Bentley customers, according to Walliser, while the other half has come from people new to the brand.
Bentley has invested £350 million ($465 million) at its plant in Crewe, northwest England, to produce the Torcal.
The investment comes as Britain’s automotive industry continues to attract major spending on new models and manufacturing. McLaren recently announced a £500 million investment in Britain, while Nissan said it would invest £170 million to build a new hybrid SUV at its UK plant.
British Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds said Bentley’s investment demonstrated t
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