Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 33

T

he $422,600 price tag for

the fi rst all-new Bentley

Continental GT in 15 years is just

the beginning.

If you want the James Bond-

style rotating touchscreen in

the dash, which at the press of a

button spins to reveal old-school

gauges or a blank piece of timber,

that’ll cost an extra $12,300.

Advanced safety features

that are standard on a new

Toyota Corolla are split into

two technology packs that cost

$10,300 or $16,200.

For the complete safety suite

buyers need to shell out $26,500

for both -- as much as the

aforementioned Corolla.

Bentley says buyers prefer to

have the choice of leather and

woodgrain at no extra charge

rather than advanced safety

tech as standard.

Then again, what else can

they say when the cheapest car

in sister brand Volkswagen’s

range, the $17,990 Polo hatch ,

has AEB standard?

Bentley’s view on safety

may be outdated but the rest of

the car has a fresh approach.

The only carryover part is the

glovebox handle.

The all-aluminium body is

longer, wider and sleeker than

before.

There are 82 LEDs in each

headlight, the housings etched

with grooves inspired by crystal

glasses.

Under the stretched bonnet

is a revised version of the epic

6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine,

in effect two V6s mounted back-

to-back.

It’s paired to an eight-speed

twin-clutch auto and the all-

wheel-drive hardware sends power

primarily to the rear wheels.

The clean sheet of paper

has enabled Bentley to create a

slightly larger cabin, although the

back seat is still better suited to

suitcases rather than passengers.

The interior is a mix of

modern technology, with a

digital instrument display and

12-inch wide touchscreen, and

old school chrome, timber and

leather.

Each car has 2.8 km of thread

for more than 310,000 stitches

in the seats and trim. However

some chrome parts look like

metal but feel like plastic.

The new Continental GT

comes into its own, though, on

an open road.

The hand-assembled W12 has

phenomenal grunt and makes light

work of the car’s 2244kg mass.

Even though it’s heavier than

a Toyota HiLux the acceleration

is mind-bending, with a claimed

0 to 100km/h time of 3.7 seconds

in launch mode.

There’s some debate about

whether the switch to a twin-

clutch auto was the right move.

Big powerful engines

customarily work best with torque

converter autos but Bentley

changed to a twin-clutch, usually

paired to smaller engines, because

non-buyers apparently wanted a

more sporty transmission.

Bentley has done a fair job

of smoothing the shifts to make

it feel like a conventional auto

around town, but it does trip

up occasionally when braking

quickly or easing off the

accelerator after a short burst.

Adaptive air suspension is

standard. Comfort over bumps

on the standard 21-inch rims and

optional 22s is pretty good given

the low profi le rubber.

The grip in corners is

profound and the brakes, among

the largest fi tted to a production

car, are as impressive as the

acceleration.

The best way to describe

it: Rolls-Royce luxury meets

Porsche performance.

Minor complaints: the steering

can feel vague in comfort mode

and the exhaust is too quiet, even

in sport mode.

Most buyers may prefer to

travel incognito but I reckon there

will be plenty who want to make a

grand entrance. Or departure.

By Joshua Dowling

THINGS WE LIKE

 Astonishingly quick for a 2.2-tonne

car

 Ample grip and big brakes

 Comfortable over bumps despite

low profi le rubber

 Absolutely luxurious interior

 Looks the business

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Long list of expensive options,

including safety aids that ought to be

standard

Steering and transmission a bit so-

so in certain conditions

Emits enough CO2 to warm the

planet all by itself

Short warranty

SPEX

Made in England

6.0-litre twin turbopetrol W12/eight-

speed dual clutch/all-wheel drive

467kW of power from

5000-6000rpm/900Nm of torque

from 1350-4500rpm

0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds (claimed)

9.5L/100km highway; 16.7L/100km

city; 98 octane; CO2 emissions are

278gkm

Warranty: Three years/unlimited km

Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, blind spot monitoring, lane

departure alert, adaptive cruise,

camera, Bluetooth, navigation,

voice control, leather upholstery,

21-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry

and starting, automatic parking,

air suspension

Redbook future values: 3yr: 57%;

5yr: 44%

Safety

Not yet tested

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money



Overall



STARS

compare with ...

Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG coupe,

Porsche Panamera Turbo, BMW

M850i

BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT FROM $422,600