The Bentley Torcal Might Be the World's Fanciest EV

• What's new: Bentley's first EV is the Torcal, a midsize SUV that slots below the Bentayga and shares its underpinnings with the Porsche Cayenne Electric.
• Why it matters: The Torcal is every bit a Bentley, with features like power doors, multilayered wood trim, exquisite attention to detail, and serious curb appeal.
• Edmunds says: This might be one of Bentley's finest efforts yet and also serves as a new entry point to the brand.

Not a baby Bentayga

The Torcal is smaller than the Bentley Bentayga SUV. I'm 5 feet, 8 inches tall and have no problem getting in or out of the back seat, and there's plenty of legroom when seating behind my ideal driving position. Cargo space is adequate; you can fit a pair of large suitcases and some soft-sided bags with ease. There's a small frunk under the hood too.

Bentley frequently says that its cars are for drivers, not the driven, and this is certainly true of the Torcal. While four-door Bentleys like the Bentayga and Flying Spur can be had with luxurious rear seats that recline and massage, the Torcal's back bench is a standard SUV affair. Sure, there's a center armrest that folds down between the outboard seats, and there's a rear screen that allows passengers to manage various vehicle climate and entertainment functions. But if you're looking to the Torcal to pull off chauffeur duties, this isn't the Bentley for you.

Because the Torcal isn't just a Russian doll of the larger Bentayga, it has a style and presence all its own. I actually really dig it — this thing looks much better in person than in photos. There are two different light-up grille options, both of which use a 3D diamond motif. With the black exterior pack, the innards of the individual grille diamonds are dark. But with the bright exterior trim, the whole diamond lights up. The effect is super cool.

The interior is mega fancy and the doors open and close on their own

I published a complementary article that goes through the Torcal's interior in detail, and it's definitely worth reading — this is one of Bentley's best cabins ever. (You guys, all four doors are powered!) It isn't just the material quality and attention to detail that impresses me; it's the way Bentley is bringing new design flourishes and fabric choices into the cabin, like multilayer pressed wood trim and even wool. Exposed aluminum and real metal buttons with knurled textures give the Torcal's touchpoints an appropriately fancy feeling beneath your fingers. But gosh, do I miss the weighted plungers for the air vents — a hallmark Bentley touch the Torcal does without.

My favorite thing about the Torcal is the way Bentley manages to give the digital experience an analog vibe. For example: When you fire up the Torcal, a video plays in the gauge cluster that looks like light shining through crystal. This isn't an animation; Bentley actually filmed light being refracted through a crystal glass. Bentley spokespeople said they tried making various animations to achieve this same visual effect but the results just weren't real enough. The whole "light shining through crystal" ambiance is driven home via the ambient lighting, which is recessed behind the dashboard and door trim and flickers with different colors to mimic the way light naturally changes. It's extremely cool.

Martin Page, Bentley's product line director for the Torcal, said one of the best things I've heard all year: The Torcal does not have a passenger display because it "doesn't add value." Thank goodness. So many high-end automakers are relying on huge screens to convey a sense of luxury (looking at you, Mercedes-Benz), but the result just feels overwhelming and a bit sterile. Sure, the Torcal has a curved OLED screen that houses the SUV's multimedia system, but it's neatly integrated into the dashboard and center console, with elegant buttons at the bottom — not everything is controlled via the display.

There's a Porsche under there

The Torcal shares most of its underpinnings with Porsche's new electric Cayenne, which is a great place to start. There's a 113-kWh battery pack and 800-volt electrical architecture, the latter of which allows the Torcal to charge at a maximum rate of 400 kW. Bentley doesn't have a U.S.-spec range estimate right now, but the company expects the Torcal will easily be able to travel more than 300 miles. On the notoriously optimistic European WLTP test cycle, the Torcal is rated at 375 miles. I'm going to guess we'll get around 325 miles when we run the Torcal on the Edmunds EV Range Test.

There'll be two versions of the Torcal at launch: base and S, both of which use a two-motor powertrain. The former has 810 horsepower and 881 lb-ft of torque, while the latter bumps output up to 876 hp and 996 lb-ft. You'll notice Bentley isn't chasing outrageous four-figure power outputs with the Torcal; the company says the S delivers "accessible performance without absurdity." Besides, with an estimated 0-to-60-mph time of 2.9 seconds, the Torcal is expected to be Bentley's quickest production car ever. Oh, and instead of using a simulated V8 engine soundtrack, the Torcal uses legit drum samples to convey the pulse and fury of an internal combustion engine.

Because it's based on the new Cayenne EV, the Torcal makes use of Porsche's electronically adaptive suspension technology, but Bentley employs its own specific tune. In other words, the Torcal won't just drive like a heavier, fancier Cayenne — its ride will likely be smoother and softer, with a bit more of the company's signature waftability. It should still be pretty agile, however; every Torcal comes standard with rear-wheel steering, where the back wheels can be turned up to 5 degrees opposite from the fronts for enhanced cornering characteristics. Bentley says the Torcal can "corner harder" than any of the company's other models. I suppose that's what the 200-foot skidpad at Edmunds' test track is for.

A Bentley through and through

A midsize electric SUV, the Torcal might not seem like a proper Bentley at first blush. But spending a day in and around the new Torcal really drives home that it's a bona fide ultra-luxury vehicle worthy of the Flying B badge. If you're the sort of well-heeled person who can afford a two-Bentley garage, the Torcal will be right at home parked next to your Continental GT.

Official U.S. pricing is still TBD, but I expect the Torcal to command around $200,000, which is slightly more than the Porsche Cayenne EV and just a hair below the Bentayga. Look for the first round of Torcals to start showing up in America's wealthier neighborhoods next summer.