- Bentley Torcal uses 100-percent Merino wool upholstery, the first automotive fabric to earn Responsible Wool Standard certification.
- The Torcal’s Ombre veneer is made from walnut off-cuts and recycled paper.
- The cabin leans into “modern craft” with wool, light color palettes, and Mulliner Sunburst aluminium.
Bentley is turning sheep’s wool and scrap wood into its next idea of luxury. The Torcal, its first electric SUV, debuts a 100-percent Merino wool cabin option and a dramatic Ombre veneer ahead of the full reveal on September 23.
For US luxury EV buyers used to synthetic “vegan leather” and sparse decor, this is a different pitch: rich fabric, visible grain, and materials that aim to feel warm instead of lab-like.
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Source: Bentley
Merino Wool Center Stage
The big story is Bentley’s first 100-percent Merino wool automotive fabric, engineered for the Torcal’s seats and soft-touch panels. It is not a thin overlay or blend. The whole upholstery surface can be finished in this natural fiber for a softer, textile-heavy feel than many premium EV cabins.
Bentley worked with historic British mill Fox Brothers so the cloth hits durability and abrasion targets for daily use in a luxury SUV. The company says it is the first pure Merino automotive fabric to achieve full Responsible Wool Standard certification, tracking animal welfare and supply-chain transparency from farm through finishing.
Compared with synthetic leather in cars from brands like Tesla, Merino wool naturally breathes and regulates temperature. Seats should feel less sticky in hot weather and less icy at startup in winter, especially paired with light palettes such as Soft Linen and Portland plus traditional hand-stitched detailing.
Ombre Veneer, Recycled Paper And What It Signals For Bentley EVs
Alongside the wool, the Torcal launches Ombre Veneer, a trim made from sustainably sourced walnut off-cuts and recycled paper compressed into as many as 1,000 layers, then sliced to under a millimetre thick. Bentley arranges the slices so the color fades from near-black through smoky tones into natural walnut across the dash and doors.
Short walnut pieces and paper that would normally be waste become a design feature. A new aluminum finish called Mulliner Sunburst picks up the craft theme, echoing old engine-turned dashboards with a more technical, three-way brushed pattern. Buyers still get the drama they expect from earlier first Bentley EV spy video coverage and cars like the Continental, just with less gloss and more texture.
Motor1’s Take: Bentley is steering EV luxury away from cold, synthetic minimalism toward a softer, craft-first look and feel. That will speak to buyers who want a cabin that seems hand-made, not lab-made.