Bentley has finally entered the fully electric era, and it certainly did not choose a subtle way to get started. The 2028 Bentley Torcal is the 107-year-old British luxury brand’s first production EV, arriving as a five-passenger SUV with as much as 876 horsepower, ultra-fast charging, serious performance hardware and a cabin filled with the craftsmanship expected from Crewe. Pronounced “tohr-KAHL,” its name comes from the El Torcal de Antequera rock formations in Spain, continuing Bentley’s tradition of drawing model names from dramatic natural landmarks. U.S. sales are expected to begin early next year, with Bentley indicating the starting price will come in below roughly $230,000.
The Torcal also represents a significant styling departure from the Bentleys we have grown accustomed to seeing. Stretching more than 16 feet long, it shares its 119.0-inch wheelbase with the Porsche Cayenne Electric but wears a distinctly Bentley interpretation of the formula. Its roof sits about two inches lower than the Bentayga’s, giving it a sportier stance, while a long dash-to-axle proportion, broad haunches and muscular bodywork help keep it from looking like another generic electric crossover. Rectangular headlights replace the traditional four-lamp Bentley look, while an illuminated diamond-pattern front panel gives the Torcal an unmistakably modern face. Around back, the canted rear glass, slim diamond-themed taillights and sculpted shoulders borrow some inspiration from Bentley’s EXP 15 concept. It is also the first production Bentley to wear the company’s newly redesigned winged emblem.
Bentley will initially offer the Torcal in standard and more aggressive S configurations. The regular model receives 21-inch wheels, while the Torcal S steps up to 22-inch wheels as standard and trades bright exterior trim for darker accents. Multiple wheel designs will be offered, along with all-season and summer tire choices. Underneath, every Torcal gets a fully active suspension system that uses electrically driven hydraulic pumps to help control body roll and pitch. Standard rear-axle steering should make such a substantial vehicle feel more manageable in tight spaces while improving stability at speed. Buyers looking for maximum stopping power can also specify carbon-silicon-carbide brakes with massive 17.1-inch front rotors and 16.1-inch rear rotors.
Performance should leave little doubt that Bentley still considers speed central to its identity. Both Torcal models use dual electric motors and all-wheel drive, with the standard version producing 810 horsepower and 881 pound-feet of torque. The Torcal S turns things up considerably with 876 horsepower and 996 pound-feet of torque. Those figures make the new EVs the most powerful production Bentleys yet, and the S is claimed to sprint from zero to 60 mph in only 2.8 seconds. That is supercar acceleration from a large luxury SUV that will presumably spend much of its life transporting its occupants in near silence.
Much of the underlying engineering comes from the Porsche Cayenne Electric, which is hardly a bad starting point. The Torcal uses an 800-volt electrical architecture and a 108-kWh battery pack, giving it the hardware necessary for exceptionally quick DC charging. U.S. versions will come standard with a NACS charging port, and Bentley says a sufficiently powerful 400-kW charger can take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in approximately 16 minutes. Adding around 100 miles of driving range should require only about seven minutes under ideal conditions. Official EPA range has not yet been released, but preliminary estimates point toward as much as roughly 320 miles on a full charge.
The interior is where Bentley clearly intends to separate the Torcal from lesser electric SUVs sharing similar technology. The company’s familiar wing-shaped dashboard remains, but it is combined with a curved OLED infotainment display sourced from the Cayenne Electric and a collection of physical knobs and buttons that should make frequently used functions easier to operate. Bentley resisted the industry trend of placing another giant screen directly in front of the passenger, choosing instead to emphasize materials and craftsmanship. Automatic facial recognition is included, along with an elaborate ambient-lighting system and a 28-speaker Naim audio system.
Comfort is appropriately extravagant. Front occupants receive 16-way power-adjustable seats with heating, ventilation and massage functions, while the second row provides seating for three. For the first time in a Bentley, the rear seats also feature a power-folding mechanism. Above them is Bentley’s first dimmable panoramic glass roof, and unlike some electrochromic glass installations, this one can actually open. The Torcal also introduces 100 percent merino wool that Bentley says is durable enough for automotive use, bringing another unusual natural material into a cabin already expected to offer the seemingly endless combinations of leather, wood, metal and personalized trim that Bentley customers expect.
Even the doors have received the sort of attention that helps explain six-figure pricing. All four can be opened and closed electrically using several different methods, with sensors designed to reduce the chances of opening a door into a nearby obstacle. Bentley has also created an entirely new artificial sound character for the Torcal. Rather than pretending the electric SUV has a V-8 or filling the cabin with a stereotypical futuristic soundtrack, its engineers developed a drum-inspired sound profile intended to mimic some of the imperfect rhythms associated with combustion-engine firing pulses. A rear-mounted external speaker lets people outside the vehicle hear the specially developed sound as well, while Bentley says the synthetic audio elements themselves were created from sounds recorded in nature.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the Torcal is that Bentley has not simply treated electrification as an excuse to build a silent luxury appliance. The company has wrapped Porsche-derived EV hardware in a distinctly Bentley package, added nearly 1,000 pound-feet of torque in the S, fitted serious chassis technology and then filled the cabin with the type of handcrafted details that have defined the brand for generations. Whether longtime Bentley customers embrace its bold styling and complete lack of internal combustion remains to be seen, but the Torcal does not arrive looking tentative. With up to 876 horsepower, a claimed 2.8-second run to 60 mph, roughly 320 miles of potential range and charging speeds approaching 400 kW, Bentley’s first EV appears determined to make its entrance memorable.
Mike Floyd is a finance executive by trade and a car enthusiast at heart. As a CFO with a keen eye for detail and strategy, Mike brings his analytical mindset to the automotive world, uncovering fresh insights and unique perspectives that go beyond the surface. His passion for cars—especially his favorite, the Porsche 911, fuels his contributions to Automotive Addicts, where he blends a love for performance and design with his professional precision. Whether he’s breaking down industry trends or spotlighting emerging innovations, Mike helps keep the site both sharp and forward-thinking.
