The facelifted and extended Bentley Mulsanne range has been revealed ahead of its in-the-flesh unveiling at the 2016 Geneva motor show.
The updated luxury sedan range now consists of three models: the regular Mulsanne (pictured in light blue), the Mulsanne Speed (seen here in yellow), and, an all-new variant, the Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase.
According to Bentley, all of the visible components forward of the A-pillar are new. Changes wrought to the 2017 Mulsanne’s front-end include a new bonnet, front fenders that now incorporate a B-shaped vent, a more ostentatious grille and lower air intake, smoothed out bumpers, and new all-LED headlights.
Out the back, the sedan has been fitted with a new rear bumper, as well as revised tail-lights with a pronounced 3D effect.
On the inside, the British luxury marque has given its flagship sedan new door trims and arm rests, as well as upgraded seats available with a choice of either fluted or quilted leather in 24 different colours, and with either single- or dual-tone finishing.
There’s also a new infotainment system that includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen in the dashboard, haptic controls, a built-in 60GB solid-state storage setup, and a pair of detachable 10.2-inch Android tablets built into the back of the front seats.
For audiophiles there’s an optional 20-speaker Naim sound system with a selection of super tweeters and a 2200W amplifier.
Thanks to a wheelbase stretched from 3266mm to 3516mm, the Extended Wheelbase version boasts an additional 250mm of rear seat legroom, as well as aircraft-style extendable leg rests, standard electric privacy curtains, and a dedicated rear sunroof.
Both the regular and Extended Wheelbase Mulsanne sedans are powered by a 6.75-litre V8 with 377kW of power and 1020Nm of torque. Drive goes to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
As the sportiest model in the Mulsanne range, the Speed has a more powerful version of that V8 engine with 395kW of power and 1100Nm of torque. The Mulsanne Speed can complete the 0-60mph (0-97km/h) sprint in 4.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 306km/h — the regular Mulsanne requires 5.1 seconds to reach 60mph and can only manage a top speed of 296km/h.
The Mulsanne rides on 20-inch alloys as standard, although 21-inch rims are available on the options list. - CarAdvice.com.au
