Brand's first pure electric vehicle debuts in Korea on its 20th anniversary
Orders open; first deliveries set for late 2027
'Like riding on a magic carpet,' CEO says
Bentley Motors has unveiled its first all-electric SUV in Korea, marking the model's Asian premiere.
The British luxury automaker revealed the Torc — its fourth model and first electric SUV — at Seongbuk Kahn Studio in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on Thursday afternoon. Joining the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga in the lineup, the Torc is designed, engineered and manufactured entirely at Bentley's headquarters in Crewe, England.
The event coincided with the 20th anniversary of Bentley's official entry into the Korean market. The brand was the first luxury automaker to establish a direct presence in Korea when it entered in 2006. Senior executives from Bentley's Crewe headquarters attended, including Chairman and CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser, Director of Sales and Marketing Christophe Georges, Director of Design Robin Page, and Head of Asia-Pacific Dave Hayer.
"The Torc is a car designed, engineered and built in Crewe using the finest materials and technology in the world," Walliser said. "From the moment you sit in the driver's seat or step inside the vehicle, it delivers the distinctive Bentley sensation."
He added that the Torc offers a ride "like being on a magic carpet," gliding smoothly over the road and maintaining that sensation even on the most demanding surfaces.
'Bentley sound' crafted from live instruments, not engine noise
Bentley put considerable effort into preserving its signature driving character in an electric vehicle with no combustion engine. "When developing the Torc, we did not want to simply create an electronic imitation of an internal combustion engine sound," Walliser said. "Instead, we worked with live musicians playing real instruments to develop the Bentley Dynamic Symphony, capturing the rhythm and character of the Bentley V8 engine."
The development team identified rhythm as the defining quality of the V8's appeal and recorded live performances on drums, viola and bass guitar to capture even subtle variations. The driving sound changes according to the torque demanded by the driver and the vehicle's speed — it grows louder in Sport mode and can be switched off entirely for a quieter ride.
The same philosophy extends to interface sounds. The turn-signal click was recorded from a craftsman striking leather with a hammer in Bentley's leather workshop, while the touchscreen notification tone was drawn from the actual sound of crystal glass.
Buyers can choose between a standard 620-watt, 16-speaker audio system and a 1,780-watt, 28-speaker system co-developed with British audio brand Naim.
New design language debuts; rear seats get brand's first power-folding function
The Torc is the first Bentley model to carry the brand's new design language. A long wheelbase, short overhangs and an upright front end express what Bentley calls "vertical elegance," a core design principle.
The front features an illuminated diamond grille inspired by iconic past models such as the Continental T. The Torc is also the first production model to wear the new Bentley Wings emblem unveiled last year.
At approximately 5 meters in length, the Torc is the shortest model in Bentley's four-door lineup, yet it offers 460 liters of trunk space and 90 liters of front storage. The rear seats — a three-person bench — feature power-folding capability for the first time in Bentley history.
The interior dashboard draws inspiration from the Bentley Wings emblem. A curved OLED display takes center stage, though physical buttons are retained for frequently used functions. The range of material choices is the widest in the brand's history. Bentley collaborated with British textile maker Fox Brothers to develop the world's first 100-percent merino wool automotive fabric, and introduced a new "Ombré Walnut" veneer made from walnut offcuts and recycled kraft paper compressed into up to 1,000 layers.
"The Torc is an electric vehicle and does not require air intake in the same way as an internal combustion engine, but the grille remains a vital element that symbolizes Bentley's heritage," Page said. "We combined three diamond patterns of different sizes with lighting to reinterpret Bentley's tradition in a contemporary way and realize it as a work of art."
888 horsepower; up to 600 km on a single charge
The Torc is powered by a permanent-magnet synchronous motor on each axle. The standard model produces 821 horsepower and 121.7 kgf·m of torque, accelerating from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 250 kph.
The Torc S delivers 888 horsepower and 137.7 kgf·m of torque with launch control engaged — the highest torque output in Bentley's history. It reaches 100 kph in 2.9 seconds and tops out at 260 kph.
The battery is an 800-volt system comprising 192 lithium-ion pouch cells with a net capacity of 113 kWh. Range reaches up to 600 kilometers on a single charge under the European WLTP standard. Using a 400-kW fast charger, the battery charges from 10 to 80 percent in 16 minutes, and a 7-minute charge adds approximately 161 kilometers of range. The battery warranty covers 10 years or 258,000 kilometers.
For ride quality, Bentley fitted the Torc with its first-ever fully active suspension. The dampers actively control body roll, eliminating the need for separate anti-roll bars. Electronic all-wheel steering, which turns the rear wheels up to 5 degrees, comes standard on all variants, reducing the turning radius to 11.1 meters.
Orders opened in Korea on Thursday. Both the standard Torc and the high-performance Torc S are priced from 330 million won ($247,000) including value-added tax. First customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2027.
"When Bentley first entered Korea 20 years ago, the market was centered on sedans, but demand for two-door models like the Continental and for SUVs has grown steadily," Hayer said. "The growth in SUV demand has not replaced existing models but has brought in an entirely new customer base, and I am confident that trend will continue with the Torc."
eyre@heraldcorp.com
