BENTLEY TORCAL
Electric, Effortless and Unmistakably Bentley
Bentley entered a new era with the global debut of the Torcal, its fourth model line and the Crewe marque’s first fully electric production car. Revealed in London last month, the all-new large SUV combines the effortless performance and craftsmanship expected of a Bentley with a distinctly new interpretation of luxury.
At its most potent, the Torcal S produces 653 kW and 1,350 Nm, enabling a zero-to-100 km/h sprint in just 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 260 km/h. The standard Torcal develops 604 kW and 1,194 Nm, reaches 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, and tops out at 250 km/h.
Those figures are delivered by two permanent-magnet synchronous motors, one driving each axle. A 113 kWh battery provides a claimed range of up to 600 km on the WLTP cycle, while its 800-volt electric architecture enables 400 kW DC charging that can take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in less than 20 minutes. That translates to around 161 km of additional range in just seven minutes.
Yet outright acceleration is only part of the Torcal story. Bentley has concentrated heavily on refinement and ride quality, fitting fully active suspension and adaptive two-valve dampers for the first time. The system can adjust each damper independently and almost instantaneously, eliminating the need for conventional anti-roll bars while maintaining both body control and limousine-like comfort. All-wheel steering, with up to five degrees of rear-wheel movement, reduces the turning circle to a surprisingly manageable 11.1 metres.
Inside, traditional Bentley craftsmanship meets a distinctly modern interpretation of luxury. Leather, veneer and aluminium are joined by a new 100 per cent Merino wool automotive fabric developed with British textile specialist Fox Brothers. Sustainably sourced walnut off-cuts are transformed into Mulliner’s Ombré Walnut finish, while physical controls remain alongside Bentley’s curved OLED displays.
Perhaps most intriguing is the Torcal’s approach to sound. Rather than attempting to imitate an engine note electronically, Bentley worked with musicians using drums, viola and bass guitar to create the Dynamic Symphony, inspired by the unmistakable pulse of Bentley’s legendary 6.75-litre V8, an engine whose deep rhythm has become as much a part of the Bentley legend as its hand-crafted interiors. It rises and falls with torque demand and vehicle speed, providing an acoustic connection between driver and machine.
With two models at launch, extensive personalisation and technology ranging from augmented-reality head-up display to remote parking, the Torcal represents a significant departure for Bentley. But beneath the electric powertrain, its priorities remain familiar: effortless performance, extraordinary comfort and meticulous craftsmanship.
LEXUS YACHT
Taking Luxury to the Sea
Lexus is taking its vision of luxury beyond the road, expanding its concept of “360-degree mobility” from land to the sea with the global rollout of the LY 680 luxury yacht.
The idea is not entirely new. Lexus first unveiled the Sport Yacht Concept in 2017, followed two years later by the LY 650, a 65-foot yacht designed to translate the brand’s distinctive design philosophy into a marine environment.
Now, the LY 680 takes that concept further. Built around the theme “Discover Escapism”, Lexus describes it as a private sanctuary away from traffic, congestion and the demands of everyday life, offering owners the opportunity to spend time with family and friends in a more secluded setting.
The yacht measures approximately 68 feet in length, with the flybridge extended by around 1,400 mm and the swimming platform by 700 mm compared with the LY 650. Its exterior incorporates Lexus’s L-finesse design philosophy, while the interior and onboard spaces are designed around comfort and attention to detail.
Combining stable handling with a refined, quiet and comfortable cruising experience, the LY 680 went on sale in Japan in 2024, with the completed yacht making its world debut in March 2026. Its expansion into global markets now marks another step in Lexus’s ambition to become more than a carmaker, creating luxury experiences wherever its customers choose to travel.
ID. TIGUAN
Tiguan Enters the Electric Era
Volkswagen is taking one of its best-known names into the electric age. The new ID. Tiguan will make its world premiere this month before arriving in markets at the beginning of 2027, replacing the ID.4 and ID.5 in Volkswagen’s electric line-up.
The move forms part of Volkswagen’s evolving naming strategy, which has already seen the ID. Polo and ID. Cross announced. Rather than creating another unfamiliar name for its electric SUV, Volkswagen is drawing on the established Tiguan identity, giving customers a direct link between the new battery-electric model and one of the brand’s most successful SUVs.
According to Volkswagen Brand CEO Thomas Schäfer, the ID. Tiguan is designed to carry the strengths of the established model into a new powertrain environment, combining premium design, generous interior space, intuitive operation and new technology.
The electric Tiguan will not replace its combustion-engined namesake outright. Instead, the two will be sold alongside one another, with the conventional Tiguan continuing to offer petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
The ID. Tiguan also takes over from the ID.4 and ID.5, which have collectively achieved more than 950,000 deliveries since 2021. Volkswagen says they rank among the most successful battery-electric model series produced by the Group.
Report by WILHELM LOOTS
