New performance hybrid Bentley Continental GT in SA

The new, fourth-generation Continental GT coupé is now on sale in SA. The model was unveiled at a media function held at the company’s Joburg dealership in Melrose Arch.

The open-top Continental GTC version will be available locally towards the end of 2025.

Unveiled in June 2024 as the British brand’s first plug-in hybrid model, the Continental GT features numerous luxury and technical enhancements, starting with the exterior styling that apes the ultra rare Bentley Batur with elliptical headlamps that have a horizontal eyebrow, and a crystal cut diamond effect at the top of the matrix LED lamps.

The silhouette of a low, wide and regal coupé remains, but it has a cleaner look with honeycomb wire mesh in the grille, a redesigned rear bumper, tail lights, boot lid and exhaust tail pipes. The active rear spoiler has been deleted for the new car in favour of a contoured boot lid said to create more rear downforce. New 22-inch wheels with a tiger-claw design are offered in dark tint paint with polished accents, gloss black or silver painted.

The doors, with a soft-close feature, open to reveal a large 2+2 cabin that owners can swathe with high-end materials and colours of their choice, including signature Bentley quilting.

The new dashboard with typical Bentley chrome surfaces and craftsmanship detailing can be optioned with a dark alternative. 

A three-sided rotating display centre featuring a 12.3-inch high-definition display is a neat trick. The three sides are selectable at the touch of a button, and gives it a Bond car vibe. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air map updates and connected car services that allow remote charging status updates and preconditioning are part of amenities, while remote park assist enables a customer to park or summon their vehicle remotely from their phone.

Comfortable and thickly padded 20-way adjustable front seats have postural adjust and ventilation, and Mulliner can personalise it further with unique features. Audiophiles have three options, starting with the standard system with 10 speakers and 650 Watts, a Bang & Olufsen 1,500W and 16-speaker system with illuminated speaker grilles, and the high-end Naim which provides a 2,200W, 18-speaker concert with active bass transducers built into the front seats. 

Laminated acoustic glass reduces exterior noise, but the start bark and delicious idle of the new, plug-in-hybrid engine are loudly audible, though. A 4.0l twin-turbo V8 in conjunction with a 140kW electric motor and a 25.9 kWh battery gives the new Continental GT a total system output of 575kW and 1,000Nm, distributed to all the wheels. It’s said to sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 335km/h.

The battery can be charged in three hours from dedicated EV infrastructure, while an EV mode allows for silent travel up to 160km/h and an 80km driving range. New generation chassis technology, including active torque vectoring, four-wheel steering, an electronic limited slip differential, 48V active anti-roll control and dual-valve dampers ensure grand touring comfort or sporty driving prowess. 

The new Bentley Continental GT is priced at R5,269,000 and comes with a three-year/100,000km warranty.