The 2022 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid is a shaky step towards a luxurious EV future – Fullgist
Bentley is engaged in a endless battle to steadiness basic luxurious coach-building and fashionable vehicle manufacturing.
The posh automaker not solely has to maintain up with altering know-how, shopper style and business requirements, it should additionally constantly ship the outdated world-inspired sophistication that its recognized for. The automotive business’s transfer in direction of electrification provides one other problem — one Bentley can also be taking up with its Past 100 initiative to change into a totally electrical model by 2030 and electrified variations of all its merchandise on provide by 2023.
Bentley first examined the electrified waters in 2019 with the hybrid model of the Bentayga SUV. Now it’s time for the Flying Spur, a full-size luxurious sedan that has traditionally been paired with both a decadent W12 engine or a spirited V8.
The automaker swapped in a V6-centric hybrid powertrain in an effort to show {that a} Bentley is greater than only a boisterous energy plant. The upshot: the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid is an uncharacteristic bump within the rocky street in direction of the long run.
Nuts and bolts
Picture Credit: Alex Kalogianni
Beneath the bonnet of the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid is the primary V6 to be present in a Bentley sedan in 64 years, particularly a 2.9-liter twin-turbo energy plant that gins up 410 horsepower by itself. That is paired with a 134-horsepower electrical motor that sits between the engine and the 8-speed dual-clutch automated transmission.
With every thing working in unison, the Flying Spur Hybrid boasts an output of 536 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, sending it to all 4 wheels and leaping from 0 to 60 in 4.1 seconds. That is only a tenth of a second slower than the V8, for these retaining rating.
To place this in perspective, the W12 Flying Spur can muster up 626 horsepower and dash to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. It may well additionally sail to 207 mph, whereas the 542-horsepower V8 can prime out at 198 mph. The brand new hybrid is proscribed to 177 mph. All of that is tutorial for individuals who dwell sans a useful unrestricted stretch of autobahn, nevertheless it does collectively paint an image of a automobile struggling to satisfy a longtime normal, not exceed expectations.
Batteries and modes
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Together with the e-motor, new parts embrace an 18.0-kWh battery and a degree 2 J1772 charging port, which Bentley states could be topped up in two and a half hours. It’s good for about 21 miles of all-electric cruising and provides the Flying Spur a strong 46 mixed MPGe, a far cry from its different, thirstier iterations. The additional port and the “Hybrid” badging are the one issues that betray that this Flying Spur differs from every other.
Like different Bentley autos, there’s a number of modes that affect driving dynamics, figuring out the gentleness or sportiness of assorted programs. With the brand new hybrid setup, a brand new, separate set of modes are added for drivers to regulate the habits of the powertrain: EV Drive, Hybrid and Maintain.
The Flying Spur Hybrid places its finest foot ahead at start-up, defaulting to EV Drive. It’s the quiet, gliding trace of what an all-electric Bentley will really feel like as soon as it arrives.
Hybrid mode predictably flicks between programs, relying on driver habits and situations, but additionally by route optimization because of a hyperlink between this method and the on-board navigation. Punch in a route and the Flying Spur will decide essentially the most environment friendly segments to make use of its remaining cost.
Maintain mode will restrict battery use, although it gained’t discontinue it altogether. It’s going to primarily make the most of the V6, however will interact the e-motor for further enhance. That is additionally the default setting when in Sport driving mode.
Talking of driving, some notable sacrifices had been made to facilitate all the brand new hybrid {hardware}. Rear-wheel steering and a 48-volt anti-roll system could be discovered on the V8 and W12 Flying Spurs. These programs not solely present extra steadiness and stability for snug cruising, however help in altering the dynamics of the healthy-sized sedan when engaged in speedy and sporty jaunts.
Luxurious lodging
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Throughout the cabin, the tech matches that present in the remainder of the Flying Spur lineup in addition to the Continental GT Coupe: a 12.3-inch digital touchscreen that tumbles away when not wanted to disclose three analog gauges, an all-digital gauge cluster and a head-up show are all current. They’ve been up to date with extra graphics to observe battery utilization, remaining cost and regeneration, with the gauge cluster particularly up to date to point out powertrain habits in actual time.
Battery standing is without doubt one of the many issues that may be tracked away from the Flying Spur, because of related automobile companies that hyperlink to the automobile through a smartphone app.
Together with the present cost, the app permits customers to schedule charging instances and obtain cost time estimates. It additionally logs journey information that features common gas consumption, permitting for extra knowledgeable planning on future journeys. The cabin will also be remotely primed forward of arrival, so it may be warmed or cooled, relying on the present local weather.
What hasn’t modified is Bentley’s masterful inside craftsmanship. Like an indulgent feast, the Flying Spur is a sensational delight with gentle leather-based seats, open pore Koa wooden accents, metallic diamond-cut knurled knobs, and a laundry record of different intricate particulars. It’s honest to say Bentley has the posh aspect of issues correctly nailed down at this level, although this doesn’t but appear to be the case with regards to electrification.
The UX
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Defaulting to EV mode upon start-up is a intelligent showcase of the Flying Spur Hybrid’s finest attributes. Comparatively silent and extremely mild, the electrified Bentley feels as if that is what it was meant for all alongside.
Mix this with the cabin’s substantial sound dampening and the expertise is sort of scary at instances, and it takes a break up second on your senses to recollect it’s all working as meant and that nothing has switched off. Passengers are handled to the feeling of wafting on a quiet, luxurious cloud by city, and although this can be the height Bentley expertise from the rear seats, it’s a special story from behind the wheel.
Whereas the temptation of plowing full steam forward in a W12 model or taking a spirited jaunt with the V8 is ever current, the Flying Spur is a automobile meant to be pushed in consolation for many of its operation. Easy acceleration, seamless gear shifts and cushiony braking has been the secret in that regard, they usually’ve all been altered on this iteration of the Spur.
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Bentley’s “Bentley” mode is the automated catch-all setting that modifications relying on the driving force’s habits: tread calmly and it’ll behave in consolation mode, however begin getting feisty, and it’ll swap issues over to sport. Usually, these have an effect on the steering tightness, damper rigidity, and likewise the enter speeds for throttle and braking. These three settings now must cope with whichever drivetrain setting a driver needs to make use of, and this begins to complicate issues.
By default, the throttle has a small enter delay that isn’t unusual in luxury-oriented autos to mitigate jerky hops ahead. It really works superb in E-mode when at low speeds however working solely on the electrical motor has its limitations. Any need to actually get a transfer on requires the activation of the V6.
In truth, making an attempt to customise solely the throttle response necessitates sport mode. All of this successfully breaks the spell the all-electric mode has forged. Historically, that is the place the passable grunt of both of the opposite engines declares its presence, prepared for responsibility, however the V6 doesn’t come to life in hardly the identical means. The extra sound baffling additional diminishes it in a disappointing means.
Other than the sound, the Flying Spur is seamless when it flips from battery to engine energy, and as soon as it’s in control, it coasts unmistakably as a Bentley. As soon as it’s time to sluggish issues down, the newly carried out regenerative braking offers the Flying Spur an odd “hop” proper on the finish, making it tough to finesse a clean halt. All informed, from begin to end, the core luxurious expertise is compromised by the inclusion of the hybrid system.
Issues are extra acquainted in sport mode. With the V6 all the time engaged, many of the new quirks are diminished. Braking nonetheless suffers, however throttle and steering are as sharp as ever. The additional battery juice makes up for the smaller engine’s shortcomings, although it’s preciously finite, and it takes a very long time in “maintain” to recoup a mile’s price of vary. Shedding the rear steering doesn’t sting a lot because the lack of the anti-roll system does, which definitely helped mitigate the Flying Spur’s heft up to now when taking it round corners.
Picture Credit: Alex Kalogianni
Take the entire above with a really refined grain of salt. We’re nonetheless speaking a few Bentley right here, and it nonetheless does every thing in a relatively stellar style relative to most autos on the market. However when stacking it in opposition to different Bentleys, the Flying Spur Hybrid stumbles a bit too typically to be prime of the road.
The Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid units itself aside from its different iterations by being the most fuel efficient version actually by miles. Its 21-or-so miles of electrical vary isn’t a lot by itself however paired with the V6, it may well go the space, as long as it’s stored repeatedly charged at dwelling. Bentley is type sufficient to throw in a charging unit with the roughly $210,000 buy, so patrons don’t needn’t deign to go to the area people charging station.
Compromising the efficiency of the Flying Spur’s luxurious traits appears like a obligatory rising ache in mild of Bentley’s higher mission.
In context, this can really feel like an necessary step to achieve the guarantees of full electrical luxurious. Within the current, the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid fumbles between doing what it does finest and what it’s doing for the primary time, leading to a uncommon Bentley that falters in its execution. This automobile’s all electrical mode is a tantalizing morsel of what’s to come back, it’s only a disgrace that the style is so fleeting.
