The 2022 Bentley Flying Spur is a single model which can be customized in any way the customer likes, including the engines, the interior materials, trims, functionality, and paint scheme. Talking of the standard features, the super saloon gets a 10-speaker system paired to a 12.3-inch touchscreen, adaptive suspension, power-adjustable seating with heating and ventilation, outboard rear seats with massage, and many more. 

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Given the Flying Spur doesn’t have any trims per se leaving no scope of recommending a “trim” but some of the must-have features in the car over the standard are packed in “Specification”s. As such, the Touring Specification is a must-have with all the driver-assistance features it brings in. Apart from this, the manufacturer also recommends the Mood Lighting Specification for making the interior an interesting place to be in. 

Release date

The 2022 Bentley Flying Spur is said to hit the American shores in the Fall of 2021. 

The 2022 Bentley Flying Spur gets a pretty impressive twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8 under its hood which pushes this mammoth of a sedan to 60 MPH in just 3.5 seconds. This output is sent to all four wheels for optimal traction while launching from a standstill and is sent via an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that ensures the shifts are quick, effortless, and free of any jerks at higher speeds. 

Since the car is meant to be enjoyed from the back seat, it is imperative to mention how well the car feels when being driven in. The occupants can easily sit up due to loads of headroom on offer and relax while cruising at highway speeds due to the effortless powertrain performance. The shifts are manically quick without a millisecond of delay while the engine feels under-stressed and the acceleration is very linear. The suspension does its job and keeps the cabin quiet, without making a single undulation feel through the seats. 

The Flying Spur is a massive car to maneuver through the city and the dimensions don’t help the case either. The drive in the city might get a bit choppy due to the gearbox’s jerks which, although minimal, can be felt through the steering wheel. The visibility is very good and one can easily figure out the edges of the car. The steering is very light which also helps massively in navigating through the city traffic. 

All the super sedans are powered by massively strong engines, with the Rolls Royce easily outnumbering the rest in terms of output with its V12 - a massive 4 cylinder advantage over the rest. The actual performance of this engine, though, stands the slowest due to the leisurely pace the car follows which is in contrast to Bentley’s quick nature. This characteristic also gives the Flying Spur an edge over the others in terms of acceleration. The Mercedes-Maybach ranks second in the segment and clocks 4 seconds to the 60mph mark. 

Powering the luxury sedan is a 4.0L V8 which is aided by forced induction for better power and more fuel economy. That said, the engine under the hood is rated at 15 MPG in the city, 20 MPG on the highway, and 17 MPG combined from a 23.7-gallon fuel tank which gives it a very impressive range and makes it an ideal choice for someone driving long distances. 

The Mercedes-Maybach S580 is the most fuel-efficient car here with the EPA ratings estimated at 11% more than that of the Bentley but the car suffers in range due to a smaller fuel tank. The Flying Spur, in this scenario, provides the best mix of impressive EPA ratings and a big fuel tank that ensures you never run out of fuel while on a weekend getaway with your family. The Rolls’ range of 305 miles is decent but the smaller fuel tank and a thirstier engine do no good when compared to the contemporaries that average over 400 miles.

For a car with a six-figure price tag, the 2022 Bentley Flying Spur has everything one’d expect starting from the range of materials to drape the interior in. Bentley offers a myriad of options for the person to choose the interior from vis a vis the trims, colors, tones, materials, and even small attention to details which the segment is famous for. The manufacturer suggests four styles - Cool Harmony, Fire and Ice, Alter Ego, and Tuscan - which use different interior color splits. Irrespective of the choice of material the interior’s craftsmanship is out of the world with weighted door handles and solid aluminum trims in the door panels, the dashboard, and center console as well that houses the AC vents, the gear shifter, controls for the heated/ventilated seats, the drive mode selector, a cubby space, and an armrest with some space inside. 

The front seats in this car are super comfortable with the flexibility of materials and the colors available in the palette. The seats are made in such a way that they hug the occupants snugly and comfortably and have functionality like power adjustability, heating, ventilation, and power lumbar adjustment. The rear seats have a very similar level of comfort as the front seats and are also customizable. There is a massive amount of space available for the occupants even with the seats in normal seating positions. The rear seats get very similar functionality as the front seats, with the added benefit of massage as well. 

The Rolls-Royce Ghost has the most spacious cabin of all the sedans with loads of headroom and pretty impressive legroom as well. The Maybach’s cabin is practically the same as the Rolls Royce but with lesser headroom. The Bentley’s story continues to be the same - lower headroom than the Maybach but practically the same cabin. Apart from that, Bentley’s cabin is loaded with modern amenities and also has a range of customization to keep the owner satisfied. In terms of cargo capacity as well, the Bentley gets a slight lead with a total trunk volume of 14.8 cu.-ft, which is larger than what the Rolls-Royce has to offer. 

Some of the highlighting features of this cabin include:

• Heated and ventilated front seats 
• Outboard rear seats with massage functionality
• 24-way power-adjustable front seats 
• Optional ambient interior lighting
• Panoramic sunroof
• Wireless charging pad
• Driver and front passenger heated cushion
• Driver lumbar support
• Dual-zone automatic climate control 

What’s there to keep you entertained in the 2022 Bentley Flying Spur?

The 2022 Bentley Flying Spur is equipped with a massive 12.3-inch touchscreen that is mounted in the center of the dashboard and is positioned in such a way that even the rear occupants can see the system. The rear-seat passengers have rear-seat entertainment that enables two other tablets that can easily aid the occupants in controlling various functions of the car.

The system in the Flying Spur supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly, while also equipping all the latest features including a 10-speaker audio system that can further be upgraded to a 16-/19-speaker system. Some of the highlighting features of the infotainment system are:

• 12.3-inch multimedia screen
• 10-channel performance speakers
• Concealed Diversity antenna
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Integration
• SiriusXM
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• Optional 16-speaker B&O audio system
• Optional 19-speaker Naim audio system

As with all the cars in this segment, the Flying Spur also has a very distinctive appeal as an old man’s car, but with a lot of performance under the hood. The British marque has designed the Flying Spur in a way that encompasses the company’s design language cleanly and without any obscurity. In the front, there is a lot of chrome but the chrome has been applied in a way to not look obnoxious. The overall design is very simple without any lines and creases whatsoever. The front is highlighted by signature Bentley LED lights and the big grille along with the “Flying B” badge. There are functional vents in the front bumper that let in quite an amount of air to cool the engine. 

The side of the car is dominated by the big alloy wheels and some body lines that are well-integrated into the doors and stretch all the way up to the rear doors. The silhouette of the sedan is clearly made to be aerodynamic with a sloping roof that seamlessly integrates into the back. The rear has the classic Bentley oval tailpipes with some chrome on the bumper and on the number plate holder. The rear has a very clean look as well, with the only additions being the Bentley logo and the company’s name written below it. 

The Rolls-Royce has the most weight in comparison due to the luxury it carries around. In fact, all the cars can justify their weight due to the luxury they carry. The Ghost’s ground clearance of 5.9 inches is also the most in the comparison which also enables it to negotiate with most of the undulations of the road quite easily. The Flying Spur’s weight of 5372 lbs falls in between the other cars and it does lack behind in the length and has the shortest wheelbase of 125.7 inches, costing some room inside. That said, the sedan has an appeal of its own that can be highlighted by:

• 21-inch wheels
• Retractable Bentley hood ornament
• LED headlights
• LED taillights
• Oval Bentley exhausts
• Optional 22-inch wheels

The 2022 Bentley Flying Spur is the benchmark of performance luxury sedans and has an aluminum construction that ensures the strength and durability of the body while also keeping a tab on the weight. The sedan comes equipped with all the modern gadgetry to keep the occupants safe in the event of a crash namely, ABS, EBD, rear-wheel steering, active dampers, etc. in terms of driver assistance features, the list is rather scarce with cruise control and lane-keeping assist being the only things on offer. Bentley, though, offers a Touring Specification that adds:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Traffic sign-recognition
• Lane departure mitigation
• Blind-spot monitor 
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• 360-degree camera system 
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Night-vision function 
• Automated parking system

In terms of the safety ratings, neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has put the Flying Spur to test due to the car’s “high-value low volume” nature but rest assured, the British marque has put all its technology and engineering in the car to keep it safe given its sporty potential.

2022 Bentley Flying Spur vs. 2022 Rolls Royce Ghost

The Flying Sour and the Rolls-Royce Ghost are ultra-luxury vehicles, and the similarities end there. The Ghost is tweaked more towards being rapid and giving a very comfortable drive and making no bumps feel through the seats or the steering whatsoever.

The occupants are bathed in luxury, just like in the Bentley, but the drive is serene and, in no way, sporty. The Flying Spur takes all the comfort features of the Rolls Royce, adds in more customization, and also pours a lot of sportiness with its accurate steering, strong engine, punchy gearbox, and rev-happy nature of the powertrain. 

2022 Bentley Flying Spur vs. 2022 Mercedes-Maybach S580

The Mercedes-Maybach S580 one-ups the Bentley in terms of value for money and also matches the British car in craftsmanship. It is over-engineered, as all the German cars are, which also adds in the sporty characteristics and an impeccable cabin.

The only downside here is that the S580 looks just like any other S-Class on the road, with the only differentiating factor being the dual-tone paint and some other badging and styling cues. The Bentley offers everything that the Maybach does but also looks distinctive and has a different styling appeal. One just needs to figure out whether the price bump in the Bentley is justified.

If you have that amount of money, good taste, and need the exclusivity then the 2022 Bentley Flying Spur fits in the bill perfectly with one of the most luxurious cabins in the industry, a bevy of customization options, a strong engine, even stronger engine updates, and a sporty driving characteristic that no one in the segment can match. The gearbox might feel a bit clunky in the city but the clunks aren’t noticeable for a layman to notice.