Styling
Although Bentley claims this car is all-new, the addition of the uprated plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain to the line-up hasn't really changed the appearance that much at all. This means the Spur still looks the same as it did when we drove it back in 2019 at its
international launch and it hasn't had quite as much of an obvious makeover as the related
Continental GT (even though the saloon long ago dropped the 'Continental' epithet from its official name). But this is no bad thing, because it's a superb piece of design; we're just not sure we'd have it in the Patina over Magnetic two-tone of this grandiose Mulliner model. Nice 22s and side badging, though.
Interior
Aside from one person who we think was in a bad mood because they'd lost their wallet that morning, who proceeded to lay into what few plastics were used in the Spur's cabin as 'sub-par', everyone else who clambered into this car during our test week thought it was exquisite. And rightly so: the material finishing is magnificent, the seats opulent to the point of decadence, the ergonomics and integration of technology both done to perfection. Especially on that latter point, as the Bentley Rotating Display for the upgraded infotainment continues in the Flying Spur - and it remains one of our most-favourite features in any car, ever. It's a proper piece of jaw-dropping theatre that's befitting of something as prestigious as this Bentley four-door.
Practicality
There are only four (extremely plush) seats in the Flying Spur, but passenger space in the second row is utterly bounteous. There are also plenty of places in the cabin to store and stow things too, so the only slight drawback here is that the PHEV Spur has a smaller boot than its 'Mk3' predecessors, measuring 346 litres. That's about as big as a C-segment hatchback, which is disappointing given the Bentley's goliath 5.3-metre-long form. It also doesn't help that the charging cables are stored in a big black soft-bodied case in the boot, clamped onto the floor loops. Take that bag out and you'd have a bit more cargo capacity to play with, at least.
Performance
Taking inspiration from the electric bit of the old
V6 PHEV Spur (this one has a bigger battery and more e-power, though) and teaming said technology to the 4.0-litre V8 of the dearly departed
S variant, this new Ultra-Performance Hybrid drivetrain ultimately makes 147hp and 100Nm more than even the late-yet-mighty
W12 6.0-litre in the former Speed. The results are startling - the performance of this Mulliner is outrageously swift all around the dial, no matter what revs you start accelerating from, and the astounding pick-up in speed is accompanied by a discreetly distant baritone woofling from the Spur's exhausts as the scenery begins to spool by the window in a blur. Stately homes really shouldn't move so fast.
Yet it's the increased all-electric driving range which suits the Bentley down to the ground. The company claims 47 miles of e-driving is possible, and that seems believable given how often the Mulliner was creeping around in near-silence during our time with it. Indeed, on one 102-mile run to another event, it mustered up an astonishing 30.8mpg, while the entire test period of 308.2 miles saw 27.3mpg consumption overall. We didn't plug it in once, and you'd have only got those sort of fuel returns out of a W12 Speed if you'd pushed it over a cliff with its engine switched off. Remarkable stuff.
Ride & Handling
Despite the PHEV gear adding weight to the Bentley, as no Flying Spur has ever been trim then it has no detrimental effect on the way the car effortlessly blends supreme ride comfort and impeccable rolling refinement with a surprising agile and engaging chassis. There are, of course, some supersaloons which are dynamically more thrilling than the Spur, while you might get a softer ride from something that sacrifices all attempts at handling for ultra-luxury instead, but we think the balance Bentley has come up with for this Mulliner is spot on. With beautiful steering and cushioned damping being two of the chassis' high points, there is not a realistic on-road motoring scenario that the Flying Spur cannot excel at.
Value
We probably can't really talk sensibly about value with a car that, as tested, is approaching the average price of a house in the UK in 2025. Still, for what you're getting here, and the glittering kinematic experience the Bentley gracefully serves up, it doesn't feel overpriced in the slightest. If what you want is a faultlessly elegant big saloon, you won't really get anything better elsewhere for less money.
Verdict
We know this used to be Jaguar's motto, but what a Bentley needs is grace, space and pace. The Flying Spur Mulliner with this V8 PHEV set-up has all of those attributes in abundance, and if anything the enhanced electrical part of its drivetrain only brings the car's phenomenal all-round talents into sharper focus. This Spur plug-in hybrid has the genuine superstar qualities you'd expect of something costing a quarter-of-a-million quid, and no mistake.
