Three months after the reveal of the new Continental GT, Bentley has pulled the covers off its four-door sibling, the Flying Spur. However whereas the coupé is an all-new, clean-sheet design, this automotive is a comparatively gentle facelift of the outgoing mannequin – albeit one which hides a generational leap when it comes to powertrain, chassis and in-car applied sciences.
Actually, so thorough have been the upgrades that Crewe is classifying this because the fourth-generation Flying Spur, regardless that it appears virtually similar to the 2019 mannequin. The highest-dog Velocity, the one variant accessible at launch, returns to a mesh grille (the earlier automotive had reasonably un-Bentley vertical slats) and incorporates a sleeker entrance bumper, a body-coloured rear diffuser, new 22-inch turbine-style alloy wheels and animated Bentley Wings welcome lights from the Batur. Neat however not precisely groundbreaking adjustments.
However all the pieces below that samey pores and skin is virtually all new, beginning with the engine. The Flying Spur Velocity will get the fourth-gen Continental GT Velocity’s new plug-in Extremely Efficiency Hybrid powertrain, headlined by an up to date 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8.
The mill ditches the standard vacuum system and positive factors higher-pressure gas injection and single-scroll as an alternative of twin-scroll turbos – since there’s now an electrical motor to fill within the turbo lag. This reduces complexity and permits them to run hotter, minimising emissions. Cylinder deactivation has additionally been jettisoned, provided that the automotive can swap off the engine fully when being pushed on electrical energy alone. Outputs from the eight-pot are literally barely decrease at 600 PS and 800 Nm of torque.
Making up for this shortfall is a 190 PS/450 Nm electrical motor built-in into the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Mixed energy has been bumped up by 19% to 782 PS, whereas torque is up over 11% to a towering 1,000 Nm. With all-wheel drive once more coming as commonplace, the Velocity sprints from zero to 100 km/h in simply 3.5 seconds – three tenths of a second sooner than its predecessor. All this {hardware} additionally improves the Flying Spur’s weight distribution, now rear-biased at 48.3 to 51.7.
However the primary good thing about the PHEV setup is, after all, the flexibility to drive in full-electric mode at as much as 140 km/h, with the 25.9 kWh battery delivering a formidable vary of 76 km (up from simply 41 km on the earlier Flying Spur Hybrid). This, mixed with the V8, gives a complete vary of as much as 829 km. Outfitted with an 11 kW on-board charger, a full cost takes 2.75 hours.
The adoption of the PHEV powertrain has necessitated an entire revamp of {the electrical} structure, enabling the fitment of the brand new Conti GT’s Efficiency Energetic Chassis with Bentley Dynamic Experience. This provides new twin-valve dampers that separate rebound and compression damping management, considerably enhancing experience consolation in Consolation mode. You additionally get rear-wheel steering, an digital limited-slip differential, retuned stability management and torque vectoring by braking.
Different adjustments launched as a part of the structure improve embrace new seats with 3D quilting and the non-compulsory Wellness Seating Specification on all 4 pews. This permits Seat Auto Local weather by way of the heating and air flow capabilities, together with Postural Regulate that always strikes the stress factors to scale back fatigue on lengthy journeys.
That is paired with an air ioniser, particulate matter filter and outer and internal air high quality shows constructed into the local weather management. In the meantime, the infotainment system positive factors wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a brand new My Bentley App Studio for third-party apps. Customers additionally get new distant park help, charging and local weather pre-conditioning capabilities by way of a smartphone app.
Elsewhere, drivers acquire an atmosphere show when utilizing Stage 2 semi-autonomous driving options, permitting them to see surrounding autos within the instrument show. A brand new Clever Park Help with pace management has additionally been added, whereas different assisted driving options will likely be enabled every year, akin to inexperienced site visitors mild prediction that will likely be more and more rolled out throughout main US and European cities.
The Flying Spur retains Bentley’s trademark opulence, enhanced right here with darkened exterior trim, precision 3D diamond leather-based on the door playing cards and B-pillars, non-compulsory darkish chrome inside decor and new instrument show graphics. The distinctive Bentley Rotating Show, which may stow the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen to point out both three analogue gauges or an unbroken facet of veneer, continues to be an choice.
Additionally on the choices checklist are a selection of three sound programs. There’s the “base” ten-speaker, 650-watt setup, a 16-speaker, 1,500-watt Bang & Olufsen model or the full-fat 19-speaker, 2,200-watt Naim system with Energetic Bass Transducers within the entrance seats.
After all, we’d be remiss to not point out the dimensions of customisation choices, together with a Styling Specification aero bundle in carbon fibre and a dizzying 101-colour palette, expandable even additional by way of the Mulliner division. You possibly can select from any color from Bentley’s previous and even create a paint match to any color. Inside, you get 22 major and 11 secondary leather-based colors, in addition to 4 color splits, eight wooden veneers and three technical finishes akin to carbon.
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