2028 Bentley Torcal EV Prototype Ride: A New EraBentleyThe electric age will dawn for Bentley when its new Torcal SUV finally comes to light. While the official reveal of the luxury brand's first EV is still a few weeks away, we had the opportunity to ride shotgun in a development prototype around the streets of Monterey, California—a brief, uneventful ride, but one that did provide some key details that left us excited to see the final product.We already know the Torcal will be based on the new Porsche Cayenne Electric, a darn fine starting point considering what we've seen from that platform already. And despite the prototype's heavy camouflage inside and out, the similarities are obvious. It shares the Porsche's 119.0-inch wheelbase, as well as its general envelope and low roofline, though Bentley says it tweaked some dimensions to give the Torcal a slightly shorter front overhang and a longer tail. The company envisions this as a smaller, sportier alternative to its current Bentayga SUV, one that it hopes will attract new customers to the Bentley fold.BentleyThe specs we could glean are pretty much straight from the Cayenne as well. Initially, there will be two models, the standard Torcal and the Torcal S, both with all-wheel drive via dual motors from Volkswagen Group's parts bin. Though Bentley was coy on final figures, it says max output with launch control will be at least 838 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, with the S having a moderate power advantage over the base model. Like the Cayenne, the transmissions are direct-drive units, with the Porsche also donating its 108-kWh lithium-ion battery, 800-volt electrical architecture, and heady 390-kW fast-charge capability. Bentley expects an EPA-estimated range of more than 300 miles.BentleyAlso included will be Bentley's take on the impressive Porsche Active Ride suspension, though it will do without that system's more dynamically oriented tricks, such as its ability to lean into corners like a motorcycle. Instead, its broad flexibility is configured for overall refinement and stability. Bentley says it tuned the Torcal to cruise softly in a straight line like a Bentayga or a Flying Spur sedan yet have the control feel and cornering response of a Continental GT.AdvertisementAdvertisementCarbon-ceramic brakes will be available, as will 21- and 22-inch wheels shod with either winter, all-season, or summer tires. The S model we rode in featured the upgraded brakes and sat on 22s wrapped with Pirelli P Zero PZ4 Elect summer rubber, sized 275/40R-22 in front and 315/35R-22 in back.BentleyBentley has made a big deal about the orchestral inspiration of the Torcal's synthetic sound profile, which blends drum tracks and other musical instruments to simulate the firing order of some of its best internal-combustion engines, primarily the iconic 6.75-liter V-8. The company is still fine-tuning the volume levels that will vary by drive mode and drivetrain load, rather than the vehicle's speed or the spin of its electric motors. But we found it a subtle and pleasant-sounding background effect in practice, a bassy, low-frequency rumble that seemed as if it were emanating from deep within the vehicle's structure.BentleyThe links to the Cayenne EV continue inside the Torcal. Despite being slightly smaller than the Bentayga, its cabin is similarly spacious. And it will only come as a five-seater; no individual rear captain's chairs will be offered initially, though the rear bench of our prototype did feature power-recline, heating, and ventilation functions for the outboard seats. The doors are also power actuated.What we could discern of the Torcal's dashboard was highlighted by a curved central touchscreen borrowed from the Cayenne. Bentley is not a believer in passenger-side displays, but the physical controls for the climate system's vents, including the brand's iconic organ-stop plungers, have been binned in favor of touchscreen-based actuators. Ugh. Other bits we noticed include generous swaths of carbon-fiber trim; prominent A-pillar-mounted cameras for a new driver-monitoring and well-being system that Bentley wasn't ready to talk about yet; and a new Curation Engine rotary controller on the center console, which manages the Torcal's sound effects, ambient lighting, and other interior elements.BentleyPricing is still being finalized, but Bentley says that the Torcal's ask will open below the Bentayga's, which starts at $230,150 for 2026, and that the first U.S. deliveries will happen sometime early next year as 2028 models. We'll fill in the remaining blanks soon enough, but the Torcal has the makings of a promising luxury EV that will complement Bentley's existing hybrid and gas-only models.You Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029