GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Bentley Mulsanne goes under the knife

Bentley has revealed its refreshed Mulsanne, Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase and sportiest Speed version ahead of their official debut at the Swiss motor show next week.

Said to be completely redesigned forward of the front A-pillar, the big Bentley sedan gets a new bumper, wings (with B-shaped vents), a larger bonnet, a wider stainless steel grille and all-LED head lamps. At the rear there’s also a new rear bumper - all are said to update and modernise the Mulsanne’s appearance.

Inside, the updates extend to redesigned seats, new door trims, armrests and new switchgear as well as a huge choice of colours.

There’s also a new touchscreen infotainment system that’s said to feature new haptic controls (that provide ‘real’ feedback following a touch).

The luxury car-maker has also significantly upgraded the technology offered on the car with the Bentley now coming with High-Beam Assist, blind spot and collision warning, plus emergency autonomous braking.

Under the bonnet the 377kW/1020Nm 6.75-litre turbocharged V8 and eight-speed auto carry over with the same power but fuel consumption, thanks to cylinder shutdown and variable cam phasing, improves to 14.6l/100km while emissions drop to 246g/km of CO2 (down from 393g/km).

To improve refinement for the standard car, that can still hit 100km/h in just 5.1 seconds, the Mulsanne comes with new active engine mounts and suspension mounts.

Handling, meanwhile, is said to be better thanks to improved calibration of the Bentley’s air suspension and dampers.

The refreshed Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase also boasts an extra 250mm leg room in the rear over the car it replaces. Business class airline-style seats are also now an option that fold out flat into a bed.

If you need even more space, Bentley will build you an even longer version called the Grand Limousine by Mulliner. The metre-longer Mulsanne is said to offer seating for up to six people, although the car-maker hasn’t yet released a pic of the special order car.

Finally, the Bentley Mulsanne Speed also carries over the same engine with no more power. Although, few will complain when you have 395kW/1100Nm on tap.

Against the clock the refreshed Mulsanne super sedan takes the same 4.9 seconds to hit 100km/h as the pre-facelifted Speed, reaching the same 305km/h top speed.

Like the standard car, the Mulsanne Speed also comes with a revised air suspension that promises better handling. The Speed now comes with new 21-inch alloys and a unique front bumper design, plus new sports exhausts.

Inside, there’s new sport seats wrapped in quilted leather, new alloy pedals and gearshift lever.

Actual pricing will be revealed at the Geneva motor show, with an expected price bump expected across the range.