2021 Bentley Flying Spur brings new features, improved refinement

Crewe claims to have used digital prototypes to "eliminate" noise and vibration from its luxury saloon

Bentley claims to have "eliminated" noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) as part of a subtle round of updates to its new Flying Spur saloon. 

After a year on sale, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class rival has gained a raft of new standard equipment alongside the refinement-boosting tweaks, as well as an enhanced array of personalisation options.

Bentley used 'virtual prototyping' processes to carry out acoustic tests on all parts of the car, identifying areas that produced "unwanted cabin noise". Following the tests, some 40 different components of the car were lightened to make way for additional soundproofing.

By using virtual prototypes prior to carrying out the modifications, Bentley was able to minimise its testing mileage and reduce the number of physical prototype cars in operation.

Elsewhere, the Flying Spur is now equipped with the City Specification package as standard, which brings traffic-sign recognition, hands-free boot opening, a top-down parking camera, welcoming lighting and automatically dimming mirrors. 

A new cabin ioniser emits negatively charged particles through the air-conditioning vents, which create a static charge around airborne particles, causing them to stick to the nearest surface rather than float around the interior. "The result", Bentley said, "is to remove such contaminants from the air that the occupants breathe, thus improving the feeling of wellness."

A new exterior paint colour, Cambrian Grey, is available for 2021, as are a range of 'open-pore' wood veneers for the interior. 

The Flying Spur remains available with a choice of V8 or W12 petrol engines and is priced from £156,130. 

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