2025 Bentley Continental GT Velocity assessment

The Bentley Continental is the quintessential Bentley of the trendy period.

From the inception of the primary technology again within the late Nineteen Nineties to its public launch in 2003, the Continental has remained the Bentley to have. Now in its fouth technology, the brand new 2025 Bentley Continental GT Velocity has ditched its iconic W12 engine and gone the best way of a plug-in hybrid, so does it nonetheless have the identical enchantment?

To place in numbers simply how profitable the Continental has been for Bentley, the 100,000th instance of the mannequin will likely be constructed early in 2025. With out Continental, there could be no Bentley.

So for the British model to ditch its iconic 12-cylinder engine and go hybrid is a big danger, however to not embrace change and stay stagnant, is a good larger danger.

The fourth-generation Conti brings with it numerous firsts: a brand new V8 twin-turbo plug-in hybrid powertrain that’s shared with Porsche, a completely new structure beneath the automotive that permits for greater than 80km of pure electrical driving and a complete new technology of inside expertise programs.

WATCH: Paul’s walk-around video of the 2025 Bentley Continental GT Velocity

Its additionally the primary time that Bentley has launched the Continental GT Velocity coupe and convertible previous to the bottom fashions.

Maybe taking a observe out of Porsche’s playbook and going for the top-spec variants first, the Continental GT Velocity will enchantment to Bentley loyalists and people who need the flagship with the most effective efficiency first up, as an alternative of getting to attend for the gradual rollout of lesser grades, as was the case earlier than.

Earlier than we get into the technical particulars of the brand new Continental, let’s concentrate on the aesthetics first, as a result of there are some vital departures in that division as nicely.

Bentley says the brand new Continental’s design is akin to a ‘resting beast’. Bentley designers took inspiration from the type of a ‘tiger stalking its prey’, which can be why the most important design change to the entrance of a Bentley mannequin in a really very long time is debuting with the fourth-generation Continental.

Excluding one-off coachbuilds by Mulliner, the final Bentley to not have 4 spherical headlights on the entrance was made in 1959, so it’s been a really very long time since we’ve seen Bentleys with with single headlights.

In lots of respects and given the numerous departure from what was earlier than, the brand new new headlights outline the brand new face of Bentley.

There is a component of simplicity to the brand new frontal design, with cleaner and extra muscular strains that Bentley says give the automotive a extra aggressive and centered look.

As you’ll anticipate from a Bentley, it’s not only a common headlight however extra like a bit of superb jewelry. Rise up shut and you’ll discover a really distinct reduce crystal impact and illuminated sample beneath the projectors. Bentley says these highlights are just for the GT Velocity, whereas different Continental variants could have their very own distinct design.

The rear of the Continental presents the identical theme of muscular simplicity. There isn’t any longer a deployable spoiler within the bootlid, with Bentley designers having gone for a clear aero floor as an alternative. The diamond-cut impact smoked gray tail-lights themselves mix superbly with the brand new rear bumper and exhaust system.

There will likely be quite a lot of wheel decisions for the brand new Continental, however the launch vehicles pictured right here had been on 22-inch GT Velocity-specific rims.

How does the Bentley Continental examine?

View an in depth breakdown of the Bentley Continental in opposition to equally sized autos.

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How a lot does the Bentley Continental GT price?

Two variants of the Bentley Continental will likely be supplied at launch.

To see how the Bentley Continental GT strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability device.

What’s the Bentley Continental GT like on the within?

Bentley and Rolls-Royce interiors are the benchmarks of the automotive trade. Each manufacturers permit clients to principally construct an inside from nearly any materials (together with stone) and customise to a level that’s unrivalled by another model.

With that being the case, whereas the brand new Continental GT Velocity is a major design and mechanical change from its predecessor, the inside could be very a lot a Bentley, being extra of an evolution than a revolution.

There stays the identical stage of unbelievable craftsmanship as earlier than, with new choices of darkish tinted and black chrome color schemes that change the brilliant surfaces on the within, which Bentley says will give the automotive a much more fashionable look.

There’s the choice for brand spanking new 3D patterns within the doorways and within the seats – which we discovered extremely comfy – and the model has saved its rotating show, so you possibly can have the widescreen touchscreen possibility or three analogue gauges. It’s a pleasant approach to have a digital detox and convey again a few of the old-school components of what made these vehicles so particular.

Though it’s technically a four-seater, the again seats are usually not made for adults on lengthy commutes. It’s going to do the job for when you’ve gotten some company or youngsters that want the area for fast journeys, however that is basically a two-seater with possibility for 2 further short-term occupants.

The inside has a singular wrap-around really feel that Bentley says is supposed to be like a cocoon. It’s actually an extremely comfy place to be and, given this is likely one of the world’s finest GTs, it’s a perfect automotive to be in for consuming up lengthy freeway miles or going out for a leisurely drive on any given day.

We additionally bought to briefly expertise the Continental convertible, which has the identical roof mechanism because the earlier mannequin. It opens and closes at as much as speeds of round 48km/h. The Continental has all the time lent itself nicely to a convertible physique and the brand new fourth-generation automotive isn’t any totally different.

There are a complete array of recent inside options which we hope to expertise on the automobile when it arrives in Australia over the subsequent few months, however a selected one price noting is the brand new air-conditioning system that Bentley claims has a particulate matter filtration operate utilizing air ionization.

Basically, your Bentley will ionize the air if it feels the standard is beneath requirements, eradicating particulates earlier than it enters the cabin.

It additionally has some intelligent applied sciences for routinely switching to recirculation when coming into dangerous air high quality areas like tunnels.

Bentley manages to mix its benchmark inside high quality craftsmanship with a number of technological options you’d most likely not anticipate.

Though we’re but to substantiate if it will likely be out there in Australia, the brand new related providers app lets you park your Bentley remotely after which summon the automotive again to you, all utilizing your smartphone.

Homeowners can handle plug-in hybrid charging in addition to cabin preconditioning for these notably scorching or chilly days. Which means other than turning on the air-con earlier than you even step inside your Bentley, now you can activate the warmth seaters as nicely.

Like another OEMs, Bentley has additionally determined that it desires to personal the in-car infotainment journey, reasonably than passing it on to Apple or Google for its mirror programs (which it helps).

As such, you possibly can obtain the Spotify app instantly into your Bentley, which implies you don’t need to have a cellphone related to the automotive. We discover this state of affairs reasonably pointless and unlikely to get a lot use.

We had extraordinarily restricted time with the brand new Continental and as such didn’t get to expertise the automotive’s infotainment system as a lot as we might’ve favored, however we had been impressed by the pace and high quality of the screens.

Bentley is lucky sufficient to have entry to different Volkswagen group product applied sciences, so we anticipate a easy and bug-free expertise.

To see how the Bentley Continental strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability device.

What’s underneath the bonnet?

For the previous couple of many years, Bentley has been the most important vendor of 12-cylinder engines globally. That has all modified now, with the W12 despatched to the historical past books and changed by the brand new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plug-in powertrain, which the corporate co-developed with Porsche.

Whereas admitting that working with Porsche on the mission proved difficult, what the tip end result has bestowed upon us is probably the most highly effective Bentley ever launched. This sees a mixed energy output of 575kW and 1000Nm of torque, which is claimed to ship the brand new Continental from 0-100km/h in simply 3.2 seconds and a prime pace of 335km/h.

Matched to an eight-speed dual-clutch computerized transmission, the brand new V8 engine is less complicated than the one which got here earlier than it. There are not any twin-scroll turbos or further complexities, which implies it might now run leaner (and warmer) for higher effectivity. That is all as a result of the electrical powertrain helps compensate for the place the engine beforehand needed to fill within the gaps.

The V8 by itself develops a powerful 441kW, however it’s the addition of the 140kW e-motor that sits throughout the gearbox that adjustments the Continental’s character solely. Because of its Samsung-supplied 25.9 kWh battery, which sits behind the rear axle, the Continental is ready to drive in electrical mode for over 80km. This electrical powertrain – with its 450Nm of torque – is sufficient to get the typical proprietor round their day by day commute with out ever partaking the V8.

The totally different modes within the automobile will permit the driving force to choose how a lot energy is deployed or whether or not the battery cost must be held (notably helpful in Europe, the place designated electric-only zones are mandated). You can too cost the battery solely utilizing the V8 engine, although this is able to defeat the aim of utilizing clear power to cost the battery at dwelling.

You’ll be able to plug the automotive in at dwelling and it’ll cost on AC energy at 11kW, which implies in simply over two hours of charging per evening the Continental can basically act like a full-blown EV, after which when the occasions involves have some enjoyable or go for an extended commute, the V8 engine will likely be prepared and prepared to take over.

Bentley was very eager to level out to us that the brand new powertrain is considerably higher than its iconic W12, not simply by way of effectivity and gas economic system, but additionally in efficiency. The corporate sees the primary opponents to the Continental because the Ferrari Roma and Aston Martin DB12, each of which lack an electrical motor and are as such outdone by the Bentley by way of energy and torque.

To see how the Bentley Continental strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability device.

How does the Bentley Continental GT drive?

We flew to the outskirts of Tokyo to a billionaire-owned non-public racetrack resort referred to as Magarigawa. However the venue being maybe one of the crucial spectacular driving experiences you possibly can ever have, the Continetnal merely didn’t go well with the monitor’s many blind corners or its tight and unforgiving traits.

Having stated that, in our very temporary variety of laps, it grew to become evident that the almost 2.5-tonne Bentley Continental is an engineering marvel. With its AWD system incorporating super-fancy torque vectoring applied sciences and an digital limited-slip differential, it manages to cover its weight reasonably nicely.

Additionally, the big battery sits behind the rear axle and underneath the boot flooring, which implies that for the first-time ever, we now have a continental GT with a rear-biased weight distribution of 49:51 entrance:rear. Doesn’t matter the way you break it down, the automotive is inherently extra mechanically balanced than any of its predecessors.

Within the driver’s seat we discovered the brand new Continental tremendous responsive and really, very fast. There’s a sense of instantaneous torque due to its electrified powertrain and, whereas no one wants a automotive that goes from 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds, if you happen to’re spending near $700,000 on such automotive, efficiency is a prerequisite.

However if you happen to’re anticipating a automotive with blistering efficiency, this isn’t it. That is an extremely quick GT that brings an excellent luxurious expertise, however it’s not going to go face to face with a Porsche 911 GTS or Ferrari 296 GTB for outright efficiency.

Although we didn’t get to actually expertise the Continental on any tough highway surfaces, we used the monitor’s ripple strips to check the automotive’s new 48-volt lively electrical anti-roll management programs together with the brand new dual-valve dampers. It’s truthful to say the brand new Continental might be tremendous stiff in Sport mode and much more comfy in Consolation, giving it a real dual-personality.

The steering and total really feel of the automotive was very assuring. The electrical powertrain and the V8 engine labored harmoniously collectively and we might barely really feel when one was kicking in over the opposite.

The eight-speed transmission additionally labored a deal with. The V8 engine turns itself off when wanted and since it not has a starter motor, its reignition is tremendous easy and barely noticeable.

You’ll be able to drive the Continental to protect its battery for later or use each powertrains for optimum efficiency and you’ll choose EV-only mode, which can see the automotive deplete all its battery earlier than reverting to the engine. You’ll be able to keep in EV mode till you hit 75 per cent of throttle or get to speeds above 140km/h.

One factor we do miss from the brand new Continental is the W12 and the previous-generation’s V8 exhaust observe and engine sound.

Sure, the brand new one nonetheless crackles and pops in sport mode, however it’s overtly silent nearly all of the time. Bentley says it resisted any temptation so as to add synthetic noise, holding all that you simply hear fully natural, with not even a speaker enhanced sound monitor contained in the cabin.

Whereas we respect the authenticity of the expertise, it solely highlights the unlucky world through which we reside in as we speak, the place regulators have tried their finest to kill any enjoyment one might discover from the auto.

Bentley has additionally launched a set of recent lively security programs, which we didn’t get to check out. Nonetheless, the Continental can apparently monitor as much as 5 vehicles close by, that means it might navigate its method round visitors and drive semi autonomously. We are going to stay skeptical of such claims till we get to check them in Australia.

Is the Bentley Continental GT protected?

The brand new Continental has not been independently safety-rated presently and is unlikely to be sooner or later given the restricted variety of vehicles offered.

We might take an informed guess that given Bentley is a part of the Volkswagen group of manufacturers, its security and occupant safety programs are world-class and, if it was examined, it might obtain the very best rating for occupant safety.

How a lot does the Bentley Continental GT price to run?

There’s presently no info round servicing prices or service intervals for the brand new Bentley Continental.

To see how the Bentley Continental strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability device.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Bentley Continental GT

The fourth-generation Bentley Continental is a masterpiece of engineering and the daybreak of a brand new product cycle for the British model.

The power to supply the most effective of each worlds by way of low-emission motoring with electrification in addition to driving enjoyment by way of the next efficiency V8 isn’t any straightforward feat.

However to place that every one collectively in an excellent luxurious and extremely personalisable bundle that makes you by no means need to go away the cabin is yet one more feat that solely a model like Bentley might execute.

Whereas Rolls-Royce sits on the tremendous luxurious aspect of the equation and types like Ferrari, Lamborghini and even Aston Martin try to sort out the efficiency mantle, Bentley sits proper within the center, the place most patrons would additionally wish to be. For that cause, there is no such thing as a higher GT on this planet proper now than the brand new Bentley Continental GT Velocity.

Thinking about shopping for a Bentley Continental GT? Get in contact with one in every of CarExpert’s trusted sellers right here.

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