You can bypass a twin-turbo V8 and instead opt for an electrified V6 powertrain in Bentley’s Flying Spur, adding a greener tinge to the limousine experience
- How much does the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid cost?
- What equipment comes with the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
- How safe is the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
- What powers the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
- How fuel efficient is the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
- What is the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid like to drive?
- What is the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid like inside?
- Should I buy a Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
The Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid is the second electrified model in the British car-maker’s range after the Bentayga SUV. It’s a greener, cleaner and slightly more expensive alternative to the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 also available in the limousine, with both starting around $470,000 before on-road costs and customisation. As Bentley slowly edges towards its goal of selling only battery-electric models by 2030, the Flying Spur Hybrid features a new 2.9-litre V6 plug-in petrol-electric powertrain, bringing a dose of silent sophistication to the luxury car market and marking a solid step forward in Bentley’s road to full electrification.
How much does the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid cost?
Budget is always a great place to start your car-buying journey, but for would-be buyers of the 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid, it’s unlikely to be the primary motivating factor.
The Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid is priced from $479,100 plus on-road costs, $11,400 upstream of the twin-turbo V8 model that opens at $467,700 plus ORCs.
There are even more lavish and/or higher-performing S, Speed, Azure and Mulliner models further up the line, including the 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 found in the Flying Spur Speed, but these leave little or no change out of circa-$600K.
Of course, the manufacturer’s recommended retail list price is just the beginning, even in the Flying Spur Hybrid.
Our test vehicle, for example, included a bunch of costly options that added more than $130,000 to the bottom line – opulent features like diamond knurling, Mulliner 22-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, dual-finish interior veneer and more.
There are no plug-in hybrid uber-luxury traditional limousine rivals at this end of town, where combustion-engined competitors include the Rolls-Royce Ghost (from $644,650) and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class (from $573,192).
But times are rapidly changing, even for the likes of Rolls-Royce which has joined Bentley in committing to producing only EVs from 2030.
Current alternatives might include the sportier, full-electric Mercedes-AMG EQS (from $328,400) or BMW i7 (from $306,900), or the Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid (from $433,500) that uses a version of the powertrain you see right here in the Bentley PHEV.
But there’s no going anywhere else if only the Flying B mascot will do…
What equipment comes with the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
Go chrome or go home is my new favourite catchphrase. Chrome Bentley lettering, bonnet strip, Flying B, window surrounds, door trims, fenders and rear bumpers, grille… the list goes on when it comes to the 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid, as tested here.
Of course, LED headlights and tail-lights, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and remote start, soft-close doors and an acoustic, heat-insulating windscreen are on the list, leaving points of difference between hybrid and non-hybrid to obvious things such as badging and the battery’s charging port.
Your exterior paint choices consist of Beluga, Dark Sapphire, Glacier White, Moonbeam, Onyx, St James’ Red or Thunder. Our stunning Marlin paint finish is a cost option – $13,213.
Likewise, 20-inch two-spoke or 21-inch 10 twin-spoke painted alloy wheels are standard, but our vehicle goes one (inch) better with 22-inch 10-spoke rims as part of the Mulliner Driving Specification pack.
The pack also includes diamond-quilted seats and door trims, sports pedals, jewel fuel filler and oil cap and embroidered Bentley emblems. Add $40,684 (at last count).
You’ll find five standard and 10 optional hide colours as well as one standard veneer and seven others, plus dual-veneer for the full effect – which is another $10,653.
The sky truly is the limit with Bentley’s list of eye-watering cost options. We would expect no less.
On the upside, all 2023 Bentley models include five years’ or 80,000km (whichever occurs first) complimentary servicing. Look at you, saving money!
Service intervals are 12 months or 16,000km, accompanied by a three year/unlimited-kilometre warranty – well behind the mainstream market leaders in this regard.
How safe is the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
As is usually the case with the most luxurious cars, Bentley’s Flying Spur has not been crash tested in Australia so no official rating is available for the 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid.
We can tell you that there are plenty of airbags – front and side for driver and passenger and curtain airbags in the rear – as well as smart driver assist technology such as rear cross traffic alert, pedestrian warning, exit warning, blind spot monitor and 360-degree cameras.
Unfathomably, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, night vision and active lane assist are all part of the optional Touring Specification, adding another $17,830 to the bottom line.
What technology does the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid feature?
Watching the electrically retractable Flying B bonnet accoutrement on the 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid appear and disappear never grew old. But, again, it’s not the headline here. Or is it?
Helpfully, looking back as you walk away (as you will) it was a reassuring sign you had in fact locked the most expensive gift to self that you own.
The technology inside the Flying Spur Hybrid is good, fancy, but not mind-blowing like the overall packaging is. It is, however, easy to navigate.
Infotainment and in-car settings come to life through a 12.3-inch touch-screen with satellite navigation, two SD cards, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming, CD/DVD and digital radio, wired Apple CarPlay only (sorry Android), 60G solid-state hard drive and 4G phone system, and 650W 10-speaker sound.
An inductive phone charger up front will set you back $796 and the Bentley Rear Entertainment screens $5616.
Insanely comfortable electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated seats with massage function and two-position memory are a delight for driver and front passenger.
Likewise, the centre arm rest and the arm rests on all four doors are also heated.
The rear seats benefit from 14-way electric-adjust seats with heating, ventilation, massage and two-position memory. If you must, there are two ISOFIX and two top tether anchor points for securing child restraints.
There’s room for three in the second row, but that middle seat comfort and space – even in the Bentley Flying Spur – is compromised.
Electrically operated blinds protect the side and rear windows, while multi-zone climate control blasts through the cabin, heating and/or cooling in seconds.
What powers the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
The 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid is powered by a Porsche-sourced 306kW/550Nm 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine paired with a 100kW electric motor and 18kWh lithium-ion battery.
All up, the Flying Spur Hybrid delivers 400kW of power and 750Nm of torque – enough to propel the 2.5-tonne limo from 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.3sec. It’ll reach 160km/h in 9.4sec, on its way to a top speed of 285km/h.
It’s more powerful than the 340kW/700Nm Bentley Bentayga Hybrid (which uses a different powertrain) and more efficient and environmentally friendly than any other Bentley vehicle currently on offer. Many boxes ticked.
It’s paired to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with active all-wheel drive, adaptive air suspension and selectable drive modes by which you can use EV power alone – for around 40km only though. Still, enough to do your daily suburban duties emissions-free.
The power delivery is sophisticated serene, and thoroughly enjoyable to pilot.
A long freeway journey let me experience the real joy of this vehicle – comfort and class, tastefully cosseted from the outside world.
Never have I felt so relaxed while in the thick of Melbourne’s standstill coastal-bound traffic. Although my passengers potentially had the better deal.
Do you buy this vehicle to drive or be driven?
How fuel efficient is the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
The 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid achieved 10.1L/100km on test, which included a long country drive.
That’s well above Bentley’s claim of 3.2L/100km on the combined cycle, but the official figures aren’t reflective of the real world and in this case are also based on maximising the hybrid’s EV-only capability, with a full battery supply.
To that end, the Flying Spur Hybrid’s ability to engage pure EV mode enables short city trips to be completed in utter emissions-free silence. With regenerative braking on your side and a little plug-in planning, this is completely achievable.
Tapped into a 7.2kWh power source, the Flying Spur will recharge its battery in just under three hours.
What is the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid like to drive?
Around town, it’s slightly terrifying. At first. The proportions – 5316mm long and 2220mm wide – and poor rearward vision means every use of the indicator and every head check matters in the 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid – a lot.
That 0-100km/h time we mentioned above is impressive given the Flying Spur’s 2505kg weigh-in, but that’s just the beginning of this story.
Immense torque and impeccable road manners combine for power delivery that is out of this world. You hardly feel the speed building. It’s quiet yet forceful, exciting, and yet so polite.
The Flying Spur Hybrid’s power is easily underestimated given its limousine looks.
Three drive modes of EV Drive, Hybrid and Hold shift power usage between the battery and petrol engine seamlessly.
The steering has the perfect amount of weight to it and, most surprisingly, the Bentley Flying Spur PHEV can convincingly weave through the bends with poise and pace.
It’s no sportscar, obviously, but it barrels along beautifully.
It can also adjust its ride height with the touch of a button to help tackle steep driveways and the like.
What is the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid like inside?
The interior of the 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid is like a first-class cabin that’s been styled by a couture artisan. Every single touchpoint is a well-planned work of art.
There’s drama in the way it blends modern technology and old-school glamour. Sexier than a Rolls and less corporate than a Mercedes, the character of a Bentley is a standout for the more stylish motorist (says me).
Customisation of the interior is a rite of passage. Our test vehicle’s interior is finished in Tamo Ash over Grand Black with Brunel hide.
It features diamond knurling and mood lighting specification, optional contrast stitching and seat piping as well as a panoramic glass tilt-and-slide sunroof with twin blinds and vanity mirrors.
Bentley’s attention to detail is near flawless… I’d prefer if you couldn’t see through the climate-control vents. Picky, I know.
That expensive, new-car smell is intoxicating, too.
At just 351 litres, the boot is small – for a vehicle footprint this substantial. Loading heavy for a weekend away, this driver left the charging equipment at home in favour of additional boot space.
Should I buy a Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid?
I mean, if you can afford the 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid, you certainly won’t be disappointed.
Dropping $500K-plus on a luxury limousine is a gamble measured in ways that only few can explain.
After some time behind the wheel of the Flying Spur Hybrid, it feels like a safe bet – a solid step forward in Bentley’s journey to electrification.
2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid at a glance:
Price: $479,100 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.9-litre V6 petrol-electric
Output: 306kW/550Nm (electric motor: 100kW/400Nm)
Combined output: 400kW/750Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Battery: 18.0kWh lithium-ion
Range: 51km (NEDC)
Energy consumption: 24.5kWh/100km (ADR)
Fuel: 3.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 73g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid 2023 Review