2028 Bentley Torcal EV Charts A Slightly Strange-Looking Path Into The Future

Bentley has been talking about making electric vehicles for years now, and though it has reneged on its promise to be EV-only by 2030, the company has been going full steam ahead developing its first production EV, the Torcal. We've seen teaser images, learned about its orchestral sound system, and I've even ridden in a prototype. Now Bentley has officially pulled the covers off the 2028 Torcal, with one of the cars in the press shots fittingly being painted an electric lime green.

When the model was first announced nearly two years ago it was described as a "Luxury Urban SUV," and though it is the shortest four-door model Bentley currently offers, the Torcal is still five meters long. Chairman and CEO Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser says the Torcal "sets extraordinary benchmarks in every area that matters," and it showcases the design, engineering and overall thinking that will go into every future Bentley, regardless of whether they're pure gas, hybrid or fully electric.

Right off the bat, the Torcal doesn't look like your typical Bentley, but it does feel unmistakably Bentley to my eyes. Brand purists have already been up in arms about the facelifted Continental GT and Flying Spur, both of which feature single-unit headlights that aren't perfectly round for the first time in over six decades, and I have a feeling the Torcal will further send them into a tizzy.

Bentley

The Torcal's blunt front end is blockier than Bentley's other current offerings (though that does make it feel a lot like a '90s Continental), and it has quite the face. Slim eyebrow LED strips sit atop trapezoidal headlights with complex elements inside, but the real showstopper is the "grille" panel. Its rectangular shape certainly looks like a Bentley's grille should, but it has a thick illuminated edge, and instead of vents or mesh, the panel features dozens of illuminated diamonds that light up with the crystal motif Bentley's headlights and other details have become known for. 

I'm a bit surprised and disappointed Bentley hasn't given this design a silly name — it's just called the "illuminated diamond grille" in the press release. Come on, you guys could have come up with something better than that! Along with the wide intake in the lower bumper and the excellent surfacing around the lights and grille, the Torcal has a distinctive expression on its face. It's strange for sure, bucking decades of established design language, but I think it's definitely recognizable as a Bentley.

But sever your eyes' focus from the nose and the Torcal isn't actually that strange. It's got a nice long hood with interesting sculpting, and a strip of chrome trim runs from the start of the hood along the lower edge of the side windows. The front fender line is strong, falling subtly down as it runs across the doors towards the bulging rear fenders that give the Torcal an awesome stance. And under that hood is a frunk with about 3 cubic feet of storage space.

The Torcal shares its PPE platform with the Porsche Cayenne EV, and though the wheelbase is identical and the two models seem to have the same glass, the Torcal looks less like its Cayenne sibling than I was expecting. Its front overhang looks shorter and its rear overhang longer, the D-pillar is chunkier and more angular, the surfacing on its doors do a better job at hiding the battery pack mass. Those rear haunches really make a difference, too.

Bentley

Bentley describes the rear end as having a "prestigious shield," echoing the EXP 15 concept from last year. Slim taillights with a diamond motif run from the rear fenders onto the protruding section of the tailgate, with a U-shaped black channel running underneath to give more three-dimensionality. Like the front end it's more than a bit weird, but I think it works, and it makes the tailgate's cutline look especially neat. 

Speaking about the Torcal in the release, design director Robin Page says "When we design a Bentley, we consider how people naturally perceive an object. You don't experience a car all at once. There is a hierarchy to what you see and understand, which we describe through four 'reads.'" In order, those reads are proportion, graphical elements, surface language, and detail.

The interior is less radical, though it is a lot more tech-forward than other Bentleys. Perhaps the biggest disappointment with the entire car is that Bentley ditched its iconic organ-stop air vent controls, with the airflow being controlled automatically or through the screen. That's dumb, though the air vents themselves do look cool. Instead of the Cayenne EV's kinked screen, the Torcal's OLED center touchscreen has a nice curve to it, and the gauge cluster is also a subtly curved screen that has a shroud atop it. An augmented reality head-up display is also available.

Otherwise, everything you see in here is exactly what you'd expect from a Bentley. There's tons of leather and real metal trim, with the option of things like ombré wood veneer and cashmere wool upholstery. Despite the new screen the Torcal still has a lot of physical controls, like the large drive mode dial in the center console that's surrounded by buttons and rollers for audio and climate controls. The new steering wheel also has plenty of buttons, though it's also got a version of Audi's new turn signal setup. I particularly love the animated ambient lighting, which looks like light shone through a crystal drinking glass.

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As standard the front seats have 16-way adjustment, heating, ventilation and massage, but if that's not enough, there's a few other options. The Postural Adjust and Smart Seat Climate systems "[maximize] seat comfort over long distances by continuously adjusting the seat's shape to subtly alter pressure distribution, and by adjusting heating and ventilation to control the occupant's temperature to a desired setpoint." Then there's the Wellness Seat Specification, which extends the massage from the squab into the cushion, so your legs will get touched in addition to your back and shoulders. The three-across rear bench seat has a power folding mechanism, a Bentley first, and the company says there's over 16 cubic feet of space in the cargo area with the seats up.

At launch Bentley will offer 15 shades of olive tan leather and 15 matching shades of Dinamica microsuede, plus five colors for the Merino wool. There's six wood veneer options and six Piano finishes, plus the technical ombré wood and engine-turned aluminum choices. Depending on which model you go for, there are different color split motifs for the interior.

Bentley is launching the Torcal in two trims, the "base" model and the sportier S version. The standard Torcal's dual-motor setup makes 810 horsepower and 881 pound-feet of torque, good enough to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. That's nothing to sneeze at, already making the Torcal the most powerful Bentley ever (the Continental GT Speed PHEV only has 771 hp), but the Torcal S ratchets the numbers up to 876 hp and 996 lb-ft. With launch control activated it'll hit 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, and the Torcal S will reach a top speed of 162 mph, instead of the 155-mph top speed of the regular model. 

The permanent magnet synchronous motors have dry sump designs that are "filled with oil for life," and while the front motor has an open diff, the rear motor has a locking differential with a multi-plate clutch. Other S-specific tweaks include red brake calipers, black brightwork and badges on the exterior, dark-tinted taillights, sport pedals, and slightly sportier designs for the front bumper lip, side skirts and rear diffuser.

Bentley

Both versions of the Torcal have the same 113-kWh battery pack, with Bentley quoting a range of up to 375 miles on the European WLTP cycle (expect about 300 miles from the EPA). An 800-volt architecture gives it DC fast-charging capability of 400 kW, which can take the Torcal from 10% to 80% in less than 20 minutes, and add 100 miles of range back in only 7 minutes. Bentley hasn't confirmed, but the Torcal will surely launch with an NACS port.

There are a few different 21- and 22-inch wheel options, some of which have aerodynamic designs, and Bentley will offer all-season, summer and winter tires. The Torcal gets the Cayenne's fancy active suspension as standard, which does without anti-roll bars thanks to adaptive two-valve dampers that can be actively and independently controlled. Rear-wheel steering that turns up to 5 degrees is also standard, and though pretty big iron brakes are the regular setup, you can option your Torcal with Bentley's carbon-silicon-carbine brakes that are the largest stoppers in the world. Bentley says the Torcal is "ultimately as comfortable as a Flying Spur, and as dynamic as a Continental GT Speed." 

The Torcal has 25 cameras, radars and sensors for its various active safety systems, particularly its advanced automatic parking tech. If you're on a narrow road and come across an oncoming vehicle, the car can automatically reverse to a pre-identified point you've passed, allowing that vehicle to drive by. Bentley says it has "assistance systems for towing, garage and parallel parking, helping to avoid damage to wheel rims, and remote parking via App," and if that's not enough, all four doors can be automatically opened and closed.

Bentley

In addition to the "engine" sounds (called the Bentley Dynamic Symphony), which were created by world-class musicians using real instruments like bass guitars, drums and violas to evoke the feeling of Bentley's old V8s, the Torcal makes other real noises. The turn signals are the sound of a hammer striking leather, recording in Bentley's upholstery workshop, and the infotainment system beeps are the sound of a crystal glass. Of course, you can either turn the V8-like noise off completely, or drown it out with one of the Torcal's two sound systems: the standard 16-speaker setup, or the optional 28-speaker Naim system that has speakers in the headrests, kinaesthetic seat shakers and Dolby Atmos.

We don't yet know exactly how much the Torcal will cost, but it'll undercut the Bentayga by a bit, so expect a starting price of just about $200,000. We also don't know exactly when it will go on sale beyond that first deliveries will be in 2027. What we do know is that, according to Bentley, it "combines advanced technology and timeless craftsmanship for a fresh expression of the human connection at the heart of every Bentley."