Bentley is preparing to present its first fully electric car, the luxury Bentley Torcal crossover, which will become a new chapter in the history of the British carmaker. The premiere of this model will take place on September 23 in London, Autocar reports.

The novelty will become the serial embodiment of the Bentley EXP 15 concept presented last year. It is the Torcal that will define the new corporate style of all future Bentley models. The Torcal is named after a natural landmark, in this case El Torcal de Antequera, a limestone rock landscape in Andalusia, Spain.

The moniker is also a nod to the Latin verb “torquere,” which means to twist and is the origin of the word “torque.” The new crossover, about 5 meters long, will occupy a position below the Bentley Bentayga in the model range, but will not replace it. The gasoline-run Bentayga will remain on sale and will get a new generation with an internal combustion engine in 2028.

Thus, Bentley will continue to produce cars with different types of powertrains. The appearance of the Torcal is significantly different from the current models of the brand. This car will have a completely new front end with an illuminated radiator grille, vertical LED headlights, and an original decorative element at the rear of the body, inspired by the trunks of classic Bentleys of the first half of the 20th century.

Initially, the Torcal was supposed to be launched a year ago, but the premiere was postponed due to a decrease in demand for expensive electric cars. As a result, Bentley abandoned also its previous plan to switch to a fully electric model range by 2030. The company now plans to launch a new electric car or plug-in hybrid every year until 2035.

The Torcal is expected to cost around £170,000. Its main competitor will be the electric version of the Range Rover Electric, which is also set to debut. The range will be more than 300 miles (about 480 kilometers). Bentley director of design Robin Page previously told Autocar the Torcal will not chase any outright range records. "Our customers are basically telling us that 300-350 miles is that sweet spot. Beyond that, they'll use the private jet," he said, in particular.

Technically, the Torcal will be closely related to the Porsche Cayenne Electric. It is expected that the car will have a battery with a capacity of 113 kWh with the possibility of super-fast charging with a capacity of up to 390 kW. Such a system enables to charge the battery from 10 to 80% in less than 16 minutes. It is assumed that all versions of the crossover will be equipped with two electric motors. However, Bentley has not yet disclosed the power of the novelty.

According to experts, the most likely is a system with a capacity of about 650 horsepower, which is better suited to the character of a luxury grand tourer than the extreme indicators of flagship sports models. The interior will retain the luxury characteristic of the brand, but will not become completely digital.

Despite the emergence of a new 14.25-inch central screen, many traditional physical buttons and metal control elements will remain in the cabin. Bentley believes that buyers of luxury cars are starting to get tired of the complete abandonment of mechanical control elements.

Another question that remains open is the sound of the brand's first electric car. Bentley management has already stated that the company's "signature sound" has always been part of the brand, so engineers are looking for a way to preserve the emotional perception of the car without resorting to artificially simulating the operation of a gasoline engine.