WHEN it comes to the world of luxury, Bentley is a well-established name, known for its fine craftsmanship and breath-taking design that has made it one of the most luxurious car brands in the world. The manufacturer’s rich artisanal heritage stretches back generations but its recent technological advances have been developed with an eye on the expectations and requirements of luxury car customers of the future.
With a recent study on ‘The Future of Luxury’ from Bentley identifying instant, unobstructed access to technology, information and convenience as high priorities for the future luxury buyer, the British marque is leading the way with its current range of cutting edge technologies that lie inside and outside of its sumptuous cabins.
l The Bentley entertainment system integrates a suite of technology, including the WiFi hub. The optional 4G LTE WiFi hub provides seamless access to online music and video, cloud services and other internet-based content, allowing occupants to remain connected.
l While a luxurious sound quality is present across all Bentley models, the Naim™ for Bentley premium audio system – arguably the finest in-car audio system ever created – provides a higher level of listening pleasure. With 20 high-performance speaker drive units, and a 2200-watt digital amplifier, it sets new standards in sound reproduction.
l For those who prefer being driven, the Bentley Theatre rear-seat entertainment system offers added entertainment and features twin 10.4” touch screen tablets that can be deployed electrically from within the backs of the front seats to give passengers access to many of the car’s systems, including journey and vehicle data, games and locally-stored digital music.
l The Bentley ‘Inspirator’ is a facial recognition smart app that makes bespoke recommendations to prospective Bentley customers by reading and analysing their reactions. Using the latest in emotional recognition technology, it guides users through a film while using the device’s camera to carefully look for slight changes in their facial expressions and evaluates their emotional reaction to various element of the film. It then uses this data, in tandem with algorithms based on a database of 3.4 million faces from 75 countries, to suggest colours and styling options that the customer may not have consciously considered but complement how they reacted to the film.
l The Bentley Configurator delivers a truly luxurious digital commissioning experience. Unlike its rivals, Bentley offers millions of colour and trim combinations for each model – and that’s even before engaging Mulliner’s personal commissioning services. So, it stands to reason that Bentley’s configurator has been designed to demonstrate the full extent of these possibilities. To achieve this technical feat, the full-screen image of the car it displays is pieced together from over 20,000 separate images.
l Also defining the future of luxury, is other in-car technology from Bentley such as front seat ventilation system which draws out excess heat from the seat backrest with silent-running fans. This option is paired with a seat massage system, including two lumbar massage cells and ten surface massage cells and with a near unrivalled range of eight different massage functions, guarantees to keep passengers alert and relaxed.
l Bentley Bentayga passengers have the benefit of controlling a selection of in-car systems from their Apple Watch, thanks to an app developed by the luxury marque. The technology, which uses bespoke digital architecture, enables those being driven in the Bentayga to remotely control the on-board climate and entertainment systems; adjust the heating, ventilation and massage functions of their seats; and monitor real-time information, such as vehicle speed, distance travelled and outside temperature.
l Bentley’s Dynamic Ride System is the world’s first electric active roll control technology which utilises an unrivalled 48V system. The adaptive and reactive system instantly counteracts lateral rolling forces, inherent in larger vehicles with a higher centre of gravity, when cornering and ensures maximum tyre contact to deliver class-leading cabin stability, ride comfort and exceptional handling.
l The Bentayga’s suite of state-of-the-art driver assistance systems include an exceptional eight different drive settings, allowing drivers, at the simple turn of a dial, to select the perfect dynamic set-up for any surface or road. By varying the settings of the powertrain, suspension and steering feel, the intelligent system ensures a perfect ride.
l For urban environments, there are a number of advanced driver aids that Bentley has developed. These systems – such as Traffic Sign Recognition, which detects a wide variety of traffic signs and displays information to the driver; Rear Crossing Traffic Warning, which detects crossing traffic when reversing; and Top View, a system which uses four cameras to display an overall picture of the vehicle’s surroundings – combine to enhance everyday usability and convenience.
l Meanwhile, the Head-Up Display in the Bentayga reduces driver distraction and increases safety by projecting important information onto the windscreen so the driver can keep eyes on the road.
l Other systems that Bentley has developed and introduced on the Bentayga include Electronic Night Vision, which has a display inside the vehicle that uses infra-red technology to identify potential obstacles beyond the range of the headlights and alert the driver. — SG
