• Beautifully built cabin
• Feels slightly outdated
• Fine visibility levels

It’s here that the Bentley feels really special. Given the fact that the Flying Spur is just as much about its passengers as the driver, the good news is that it’s as good in the rear as it is the front. But for the driver, it’s a pleasure to operate some of this car’s gloriously traditional controls, such as its chrome-plated air vents or milled transmission selector.

The driving position is excellent, with a high, commanding view outside, and lots of practical stowage space to call upon. But where it scores over all of its opponents is the quality of the materials used – from the leather on the seats, through the thick carpets to the lustrous wood cappings, this is a traditional-feeling luxury car.

It’s available in both four- and five-seat configurations, and the Flying Spur gets supremely-supportive front and rear seats trimmed in top-quality quilted leather. The fronts also get 14-way adjustment including memory and lumbar functions, while the rears are available with multiple adjustments, depending on the options ticked.

Every occupant is offered seat heating as well as ventilation, while additional stowage sections are incorporated to the rear of the front seats. For the four-seat variant, the centre console sweeps from the front to the rear cabin and introduces an additional large cubby area trimmed in veneer to match the car.

• Cossetting suspension, controlled damping
• Big, supportive, well-trimmed seats
• Rear-seat comfort is exemplary

The Bentley Flying Spur is a fast car, and has grippy on-limit handling, but its major strength is definitely its comfort – both front and rear. Bentley’s largest markets – China and the Middle East – like soft-riding cars, and this set-up reflects that.

Following on from the previous-generation Bentley Continental Flying Spur, it has 10% and 13% more compliant air suspension settings front and rear. This is echoed with the anti-roll bars and bushes, too, which combine to create a pillow-soft, but well-controlled suspension set-up, also thanks to well-judged dampers.

Air suspension perfectly tailored for passenger comfort

And it’s a great air suspension system for dealing with typically rough UK roads. Most of the time it rides smoothly, leaving the passengers in a capsule of serenity, but for those who enjoy driving, it’s probably best not leaving in its softest setting.

You do feel some of the worst potholes more than you would in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but overall, it’s a very impressive effort. And as for the seats, they are large, beautifully stitched, wonderfuly shaped, and you’ll happily spend hours in them without a trace of discomfort.