2028 Bentley Torcal, 2027 Porsche Cayenne Electric | Photo: Bentley/Porsche
Bentley unveiled the 2028 Torcal yesterday. It’s the brand’s first fully electric vehicle and a brand-new model line, built by hand in Crewe, England. It goes up against the 2027 Porsche Cayenne Electric, which is already on sale in Canada.
Here’s what makes this matchup interesting: under the skin, the two are close. Both use the same size battery, both charge at the same top speed, and both have a small trunk under the hood. Where they really differ is how much power you can get, how much you can carry, and what comes standard.
Both SUVs use two electric motors, one driving the front wheels and one driving the rear, so both have all-wheel drive. The top numbers below are what each one makes in its maximum-acceleration mode.
The Torcal comes in two versions. The regular Torcal makes 810 hp and gets from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. The sportier Torcal S makes 876 hp and does it in 2.9 seconds. Top speeds are 250 km/h and 260 km/h.
Bentley could have gone faster but chose not to: its engineers found that most customers find anything quicker uncomfortable.
The Cayenne Electric comes in three versions, and the range between them is much wider. The base model makes 435 hp and reaches 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. The Cayenne S Electric makes 657 hp and needs 3.8 seconds.
Then there’s the Turbo. The Cayenne Turbo Electric makes up to 1,139 hp, making it the most powerful Porsche ever sold, and gets to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds. A button even adds a 10-second power boost for passing.
| 2028 Bentley Torcal | 2028 Bentley Torcal S | 2027 Cayenne Electric | 2027 Cayenne S Electric | 2027 Cayenne Turbo Electric | |
| Maximum power | 810 hp | 876 hp | 435 hp | 657 hp | 1,139 hp |
| Pulling power (torque) | 881 lb-ft | 996 lb-ft | 616 lb-ft | 797 lb-ft | 1,106 lb-ft |
| 0 to 100 km/h | 3.4 s | 2.9 s | 4.8 s | 3.8 s | 2.5 s |
What this means: from the slowest version here to the quickest, the gap is 2.3 seconds to 100 km/h. The real difference is choice. Porsche offers a cheaper, less powerful starting point and a far more powerful top model, while both Torcal versions sit near the top of that range.
This is where the two are nearly twins. Both have a 113 kWh battery (think of it as the size of the fuel tank) and both use 800-volt technology, which lets them charge very quickly at the right public chargers.
The Torcal is rated at up to 600 km of range. On a fast public charger, it can go from 10 percent to 80 percent in under 20 minutes, and just seven minutes plugged in adds about 161 km, roughly a coffee stop’s worth of highway driving.
The Cayenne Electric is rated at 642 km for the base model, 653 km for the S and 623 km for the Turbo. It goes from 10 to 80 percent in under 16 minutes on a fast charger.
One thing to know about those numbers: they come from Europe’s WLTP test, which runs optimistic. Canada’s official ratings (NRCan, which match the U.S. EPA’s) are lower. For the Cayenne, that’s 510 km, 481 km and 480 km, about 21 to 26 percent below its European figures.
There’s no Canadian rating for the Torcal yet, so we applied the same gap to its 600 km. That puts the Torcal at roughly 440 to 475 km on the Canadian scale. Treat that as our estimate, not an official number.
For charging, the Cayenne has a Tesla-style plug for fast charging on one side and a standard home-charger plug on the other. It can also be ordered with wireless charging: park over a pad in your garage and it charges without plugging in.
| 2028 Bentley Torcal | 2027 Porsche Cayenne Electric | |
| Battery size | 113 kWh | 113 kWh |
| Range (European test) | Up to 600 km | 623 to 653 km |
| Range (Canadian rating, NRCan/EPA) | About 440 to 475 km (estimate) | 480 to 510 km |
| Extra range (European test) | 23 to 53 km more | |
| Fast charge, 10% to 80% | Under 20 minutes | Under 16 minutes |
What this means: on Canadian-style ratings, the Cayenne’s official numbers land 5 to 70 km above our Torcal estimate. Cold Canadian winters cut range in any electric vehicle. Both charge quickly enough that a long road trip mostly means short coffee-and-bathroom stops, as long as a fast charger is on your route.
At this price, the cabin matters as much as what’s under the floor, and this is where Bentley puts most of its effort.
The Torcal introduces the first car fabric made entirely of Merino wool, the same soft wool used in high-end sweaters. There are also two new wood and metal trims: one made from up to 1,000 thin layers of walnut scraps and recycled paper, and a brushed aluminium finish inspired by old Bentley dashboards.
Buyers choose from 15 leather colours, 15 colours of a suede-like material, five wool colours and 14 wood and trim finishes. Real buttons and knobs stay on the centre console and steering wheel for the things you touch most.
The front seats come standard with heating, cooling, massage and 16 ways to adjust them. Optional seats can subtly reshape themselves on long drives to keep you comfortable, and the top option even massages your legs. The back seat folds down at the push of a button.
Porsche’s approach is choice. The Cayenne Electric offers 12 interior colour combinations plus several optional packages, and Porsche’s personalization department will build almost anything you ask for, right up to a one-of-a-kind vehicle.
Standard features include heated armrests and door panels (not just heated seats), power-adjustable back seats, and a glass roof that can go from clear to shaded at the touch of a button. The Torcal offers a similar switchable glass roof.
Both SUVs have one-touch cabin modes that change the lighting, temperature and sound to suit your mood. The Torcal has four: Bentley, Comfort, Sport and Refresh.
| 2028 Bentley Torcal | 2027 Porsche Cayenne Electric | |
| Heated seats | Standard | Standard |
| Back seat | Folds at the push of a button | Power-adjustable |
| Switchable glass roof | Available | Standard |
| Cabin mood modes | Yes (four) | Yes |
| Custom-order program | Yes (Mulliner) | Yes (Exclusive Manufaktur) |
What this means: the Torcal leans toward rare materials and comfort features included from the start. The Cayenne leans toward letting you build your own combination from a long options list.
Both use large curved screens, keep real buttons for climate and volume, and can project directions onto the windshield in front of your eyes.
The Torcal recognizes the driver’s face and automatically adjusts the seat, steering wheel and settings. Your phone can work as the key. It can park itself, including from your phone while you stand outside, and it can learn a tricky parking spot and repeat it.
On a narrow road, the Torcal can even back itself up to a wider spot it already spotted to let an oncoming car through. All four doors open and close on their own, and they close when a passenger buckles their seatbelt.
Audio starts with a 16-speaker system. The optional Naim system has 28 speakers and speakers built into the seats and headrests. The Torcal also plays a driving sound recorded with real drums, viola and bass guitar that rises as you accelerate, and you can switch it off.
The Cayenne Electric has a 14.25-inch driver screen, a large curved centre screen and an optional 14.9-inch screen for the front passenger. Its voice assistant uses artificial intelligence to understand full sentences, and you can download extra apps to the car.
Your phone or smartwatch can work as the key, and you can share digital keys with up to seven other people.
| 2028 Bentley Torcal | 2027 Porsche Cayenne Electric | |
| Curved screens | Yes | Yes |
| Directions projected on windshield | Yes | Optional |
| Phone as key | Yes | Yes (phone or smartwatch) |
What this means: both cover the modern basics. The Torcal adds more hands-off conveniences like self-closing doors and face recognition, while the Cayenne adds a passenger screen and downloadable apps.
This is the clearest difference in what comes standard.
Every Torcal has a computer-controlled suspension that can push each wheel up or down on its own, instantly. It’s designed to keep the body calm over bumps and limit leaning in corners. Every Torcal also has rear-wheel steering: the back wheels turn slightly to help it squeeze into tight parking spots.
The Cayenne Electric comes standard with air suspension, which lets you raise or lower the vehicle. Porsche’s own computer-controlled suspension is an option on the S and Turbo. Rear-wheel steering is optional on every Cayenne.
Both offer upgraded ceramic brakes as an option (on the Cayenne, S and Turbo only). The Cayenne also offers an off-road package with a reshaped front bumper for steep dirt roads.
| 2028 Bentley Torcal | 2027 Porsche Cayenne Electric | |
| Computer-controlled suspension | Standard | Optional (S and Turbo) |
| Rear-wheel steering | Standard | Optional |
| Ceramic brakes | Optional | Optional (S and Turbo) |
What this means: with the Torcal, the fancy suspension and steering hardware are included. With the Cayenne, you can get similar hardware, but you pay extra and need to pick the right version.
Both are about five metres long, but they split their space differently.
The Torcal holds 460 litres of luggage in the back, plus a 90-litre trunk under the hood, roughly enough for a carry-on bag.
The Cayenne Electric holds 781 litres behind the back seat and 1,588 litres with the seat folded down. It also has a 90-litre trunk under the hood.
Towing is where the two really part ways. The Cayenne Electric can pull up to 7,716 lbs (3,500 kg), enough for many boats and travel trailers. The Torcal comes with a towing assistance system, but Bentley has yet to confirm how much it can tow.
| 2028 Bentley Torcal | 2027 Porsche Cayenne Electric | |
| Length | About 5,000 mm | 4,985 mm |
| Cargo space behind back seat | 460 L | 781 L |
| Extra cargo space | 321 L more | |
| Trunk under the hood | 90 L | 90 L |
What this means: the Cayenne has about 70 percent more space behind the back seat. For families hauling hockey bags or anyone towing a boat, those are the numbers to look at.
The Torcal is long and low, with a long hood and muscular rear fenders. Its glowing diamond-pattern grille nods to classic Bentleys, and it’s the first Bentley to wear the brand’s newly redesigned logo.
The regular Torcal rides on 21-inch wheels; the Torcal S gets 22-inch wheels plus darker trim, dark tail lights and red brake calipers. Bentley offers factory winter tyres in both sizes, plus an all-season tyre, a handy detail for Canadian winters.
The Cayenne Electric is shaped to slip through the air easily, which helps its range. Flaps in the nose and a rear spoiler adjust automatically as you drive, and on the Turbo, small panels pop out at the back at highway speeds. It also has doors with no window frames and a glowing light bar across the back.
Porsche offers 13 standard colours and nine wheel designs from 20 to 22 inches.
| 2028 Bentley Torcal | 2027 Porsche Cayenne Electric | |
| Wheel sizes | 21 to 22 inches | 20 to 22 inches |
| Wheel designs | 5 | 9 |
| Signature lighting | Glowing diamond grille | Light bar across the back |
The 2027 Cayenne Electric is on sale now. Once delivery, the federal luxury tax and dealer fees are added in, Porsche Canada puts the total at about $144,862 for the base model, $158,422 for the S and $201,262 for the Turbo. Bentley has not announced pricing for the Torcal.
The Torcal’s battery coverage runs two years longer: Bentley covers it for 10 years or 160,934 km, versus eight years or 160,000 km for the Cayenne.
| 2028 Bentley Torcal | 2027 Porsche Cayenne Electric | |
| Versions | 2 | 3 |
| Estimated total price | Not announced | From $144,862 |
| Battery warranty | 10 years / 160,934 km | 8 years / 160,000 km |
The Bentley Torcal is for you if you want:
The Porsche Cayenne Electric is for you if you want:
Key numbers:
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