Bentley has unveiled its first electric car, the Torcal, at a starting price of £173,300, less than half the €550,000 price of Ferrari’s rival Luce. The UK luxury carmaker bets on the new SUV to attract younger and first-time customers, offering a range of up to 600km. Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser said the Torcal’s design, feel and driving experience would be “all Bentley,” adding, “It’s also beneficial not to be the first.”

Instead of recreating V8 engine noise, the EV features a propulsion sound handcrafted by musicians using percussion, crystal glass, birds and leather tapping. The Volkswagen-owned brand completed a £350mn investment to build the Torcal at its Crewe plant, supporting 4,000 UK jobs.

The launch comes as Bentley faces slowing demand in China, Middle East conflict fallout and higher US tariffs. Walliser said, “We have to bring back the competitiveness.” Roughly half of early interest came from new customers, and Bentley expects demand on par with its Continental and Bentayga models.