Bentley has very first name electric car: Mango. The British marques confirmed this today, along with a teaser photo of the rear of the EV, and promised a full reveal on September 23. More important than the name, however, is that this is Bentley’s first electric car. Specs are thin on the ground until it’s officially revealed, but Bentley is willing to let it slip that this 5-meter long SUV will have a range of over 300 miles.
The word Torcal was already on the radar of Bentley patrons. Earlier this year, trademark filings showed that Bentley had registered “Torcal” and “Barnato” in Europe and the UK, filed lawsuits against vehicles including electric vehicles, charging cables and charging stations. Barnato, a nod to the 1920s Bentley racing driver and racer Wolf Barnatowas suggested as the front runner. Bentley has gone the other way.
Like that Bentayga and other Bentleys before it, the Torcal name derives from the original symbol, Torcal of Antequera in Andalusia, Spain, limestone landscape with piled rocks. Conveniently, Torcal also means automatic, as it is derived from Latin to twistmeaning to twist, which is where the word torque, describing rotational force, comes from.
First Look
WIRED was invited to Torcal’s secret unveiling, near Bentley’s UK headquarters. Although most of the information released that day cannot be shared yet, I can say that this new electric SUV is similar to the Bentayga, as the lineage between the two is obvious. The torcal is slightly smaller, with a signature long hood and upright front. Bentley’s familiar rear spoiler above the wheel arches also features, of course, but perhaps not as well resolved as on the Bentayga.
Still, it’s an attractive, powerful, and purposeful SUV, with a convertible sunroof and new light clusters. You can see how different the taillights are from the Bentayga in the teaser image—from the familiar oval shape to a clean line. However, unlike the Bentayga, the roof line at the rear is lowered, which is now becoming common electric car design as it means less drag, which increases the range.
At the front, perhaps the most interesting visual feature of the Torcal is the new grille: The radiator ventilation is replaced by a solid wall of illuminated crystals with a design that seems to be influenced by the surface of the Continental T. It is a bold touch that is deliberately obscure, a far cry from the trend. quiet luxury.
Inside, thanks to the power doors that swing all around, it’s nice to see that Bentley’s designers got the message about the switches right. Key function buttons are integrated with OLED screens. The central display curves gracefully downwards in the same manner as the the new Cayenne. Interestingly, Bentley hasn’t followed other high-end manufacturers in offering a separate passenger screen, and I’m sure there won’t be an option for this.
The Graveyard Torch Goes In
Bentley chairman and chief executive Frank-Steffen Walliser calls the Torcal “the most considered car” in Bentley’s history, and it has to be. Regardless of the EV’s final specifications, it’s coming up to the worst time yet to sell an affordable electric car.
Lamborghini shelved its Lanzador electric GT this year after concluding, in the words of CEO Stephan Winkelmann, that demand among its buyers is “close to zero, if not zero.” Ferrari’s first EVluce, wiped out billions the company’s market value within hours of its unveiling in Rome, and Ferrari has now pushed its second electric model to 2028.
