2023 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid

Bentley launched the Flying Spur Hybrid just one year ago as part of its strategy to fully electrify its range by 2030, and judging by the fact that almost all of hybid variants in the Bentley stable are being expanded with new trims for 2023, it would seem the British marque's recipe works. The Flying Spur Hybrid gets three new models for the new year, all powered by the capable 2.9-liter V6 plug-in hybrid engine; it makes 536 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, which is enough to hustle the big sedan to 60 mph in just a smidge over four seconds. There isn't much in the ultra-luxury sedan class that can be considered a competitor to the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid, since BMW Alpina B7 and the Rolls-Royce Ghost are both powered by monstrous combustion engines. However, a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class plug-in hybrid is on the horizon, although it's not earmarked for the USA at this stage. So, if you want to soothe your conscience while enveloped in the ultimate expression of luxury, the Flying Spur Hybrid lineup is where you'll be doing your shopping.

Bentley's cars are all designed with supreme comfort front of mind, but the Flying Spur tries to tap into the "driving not just being driven" mindset by offering some fun from behind the wheel. It shares a platform with the Porsche Panamera and comes with standard adaptive air suspension, effectively covering the bases for compliant and comfortable, when it comes to handling. No Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid review will criticize the sedans ability to soak up road imperfections, because not only does it simply smooth everything over as you drive, but with the optional Dynamic Ride anti-roll system that keeps it level, even taking corners at speed doesn't compromise the sense of comfort. The Flying Spur Hybrid's steering is direct, and the brakes do a good job of bringing the portly sedan to a halt when needed.

The question seems almost rhetorical; no Bentley product can be anything other than good. But in more literal terms, the Flying Spur Hybrid does meet all the criteria that a sedan should: it can carry four adults with enough head- and legroom for them to be comfortable, there's trunk space for a few bags (albeit less than in the regular Flying Spur), a raft of safety features both standard and available to keep occupants safe, and the hybrid gets better gas mileage than the regular gas model does. That last bit is a little tricky, though; the hybrid powertrain means EPA figures of around 19 mpg combined or 46 MPGe, but that's just 2-mpg improvement over the roaring V8 gas model. Sure, you get around 21 miles of electric range, but it's really not much to write home about. However, chances are that if you're shopping in this segment, money spent at the pumps will be less of a concern for you than knowing you're doing less harm to the environment. In that case, what color Flying Spur Hybrid would you like?