Bentley Continental GT (2024 - ) review

The previous version of the Continental GT got one solitary star here, mainly for the fact running costs were at least as extravagant as the purchase price. The latter is still as hefty as ever, especially in the upgraded Mulliner version you see here. But even the super-rich target audience will appreciate the hybrid’s impact on running costs, for the fact nobody ever got wealthy by wasting money. Incredibly we actually exceeded Bentley’s official fuel efficiency figures as well, scoring over 30mpg on an extended drive from the factory in Crewe to the Scottish Highlands. With a fully charged battery it’ll do up to 50 miles and, potentially, more than the motorway speed limit on electric power alone. But not both! For relaxed cruising it’s a gift, though, and if your town house has a charger you’ll be able to be able to cruise the city streets without firing up the petrol engine at all. In the unlikely event your company car list includes the Continental GT as an option it’s also good on Benefit In Kind, which could save literally thousands!

Bentley is part of the elite group of luxury brands within the wider Volkswagen family, and shares its technology with the likes of Porsche and Audi. As such you’d have to hope the quality is up there with expectations of the price. Which made the slightly odd judder from the electric motor in low-speed manoeuvring surprising and something we’d hope would be sorted out for customer cars.

Speed and comfort remain the Continental GT’s primary goals but it doesn’t forget to look after its occupants as well, with tons of tech to keep you on the straight and narrow. You’ll be relieved to hear that awesome power is put to the road via all four wheels for confidence in all weathers, the many and various electronic systems keeping you safe also switchable as required. Mithering speed limit alerts are usually the first thing we turn off in a test car but such is the Continental GT’s effortless performance it might be advisable to leave these on, given you’ll often find yourself going a lot faster than you thought you were.

As a luxe brand Bentley is all about wellness, meaning those armchair-like front seats can warm you on cold days, cool you on hot ones and massage you as you drive to help you relax or stay alert as required. The gentle waft of leather adds to the luxurious ambience as well, our Mulliner car further upgraded with even higher quality hide than usual. Those not into animal-based materials can at least take some heart that Bentley has committed to sourcing its upholstery from sustainable suppliers as part of the circular economh and using organic processes to treat it, meaning you can enjoy the country club aroma with a (relatively) clean conscience. Suffice to say, the cabin is a stylistic and tactile delight with a cunning blend of modernity and tradition in one. Under it all is a hugely sophisticated suspension system designed to combine sportiness and refinement in one, with various settings to calibrate it to your mood or the road you’re driving on. Sport felt a little harsh to us, and less refined than we recall in previous GTs. Comfort delivered more of the waft we’d have hoped for, the catch-all Bentley setting perhaps the best balance of all, though there’s still a bit of tyre roar on poor surfaces to upset the tranquility.

Nearly 70 per cent of this Continental GT is new or improved over the last one, though you wouldn’t necessarily realise at first glance. Especially on the inside. No bad thing, given the interior was already one of the highlights, the nifty revolving centrepiece meaning you can switch between a screen, integrated wood trim piece or trio of chrome-ringed analogue dials at the push of a button. A novelty, perhaps, but a very Bentley one. And also very cool, as are the expensive feeling metal ventilation controls and more. The system powering that screen has, meanwhile, been updated with expanded connectivity and a new store from where you can add third-party apps. Or run them through your phone and CarPlay or Android Auto as you prefer. There’s no such thing as a basic Bentley, of course, but if money really is no object the options for customisation go as far as your imagination (or wallet) can take you, especially on the Mulliner version we tried. And if you fancy all this but in the open air there’s a convertible GTC version as well.

Traditionalists may flinch at the idea but electrification really suits Bentley, given it simply enhances and amplifies the signature attributes of huge horsepower and effortless torque. Without getting too technical the latter is what makes Bentleys so lovely to drive, and helps the Continental shrug off its 2.5 tonnes and feel way sportier than a luxurious coupe has any right to. With a combined 782 horsepower there is immense power at your command but it’s actually as fun just tickling the throttle whether in silent electric mode or with the petrol-powered side burbling away with its suitably muscular sounding exhaust note. In short, this is the best of both worlds and the Continental GT is as comfortable cruising as it is monstering supposedly more athletic supercars with its proven 200mph-plus top speed. Or if you plug it in and keep it charged ability to mooch about on electric power alone for up to 50 miles. Fresh from driving this Speed version Bentley has also announced a (relatively) more restrained version of the same with a ‘mere’ 680 horsepower, which is still more powerful than the old 12-cylinder petrol and only half a second slower 0-62mph than the Speed.