SPIED: Bentley's Flagship, The Mulsanne, To Go BIG — Gets STRETCHED And Improved For 2017

If you've ever been inside of a Bentley Mulsanne, it's pretty hard to imagine improving on it. Everything is exceedingly well trimmed, the interior is using the latest and greatest technology in the Vollkswagen Auto Group (VAG) arsenal and it's all packaged quite nicely.

Seems like this isn't stopping Bentley from making improvements for what we believe to be the 2017 model year.

While I doubt Bentley will switch out its Audi-borrowed MMI system, we're confident the company will make some performance modifications for a bump in power as well as increased efficiency. In addition, expect minor exterior and interior tweaks to be carried out.

In these snaps it appears that there will be some minor changes to the exterior in form of a new front clip and potentially some improved upon headlights. Frankly, I am not seeing anything else.

The BIG news for the Mulsanne is that the company is clearly developing a long-wheelbase variant. While we've heard reports that cars like the standard Mercedes-Benz S-Class and S-Class Maybach are disrupting the über luxury market held by Bentley and Rolls-Royce, here's more proof. Though Rolls has been producing extended wheelbase Phantoms and Ghost products, Bentley has been late to the game. Finally, it's clearly working on a long-wheelbase Mulsanne and they're really streeeetching it out. I'll hazard a guess and say it looks like about six to eight inches are added in the rear door alone.

If you take a second you'll note the company has made it so long it actually is bordering on awkward.

See what I mean by clicking "Read Article" below.

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MDarringer - 10/31/2015 5:29:47 PM

-6 Boost

If any premium brand needs a face reinvention, it's Bentley. The ugly bug-eyed look is simply terrible.

Car4life1 - 10/31/2015 10:40:02 PM

-1 Boost

Hmmm...if this is Bentleys response to the runaway success of the S 600 Maybach...Benz has nothing to worry about

jameswisrik - 11/1/2015 10:14:30 AM

-2 Boost

I'll buy the Benz over this VW any day!

MDarringer - 11/1/2015 1:56:13 PM

-7 Boost

The Bentley looks old, but not retro inspired is the problem. The Checker Cab styling of the face--and that of Rolls Royce--is soooo played out.

mre30 - 11/1/2015 10:38:22 AM

-2 Boost

Even before Dieselgate, it has been so painfully obvious that Bentley is starved for development dollars by parent VW. In the Flying Spur refresh two years ago, it seems that the stylists gave up at the rear doors - the truck and rear quarter panels look like a production line employee finished them up.

The "big-light" / "small-light" rhythm that Bentley alternates to designate the two and four door Continental based cars is just tired.

While the interior is beautifully finished - the LCD screen graphics all scream "2005" - they are low res, dot-pixleated displays. Really an embarrassment that all the wood and leather in the world cannot compensate for.

I think if you put a Euro-market Phaeton and a Continental side-by-side, the Phaeton might come off as the more modern of the two. http://www.volkswagen.de/de/models/phaeton.html

Bentley's slow death will sadly be accelerated by Dieselgate.

Agent00R - 11/1/2015 12:00:22 PM

-1 Boost

I think you guys have got it all wrong.

The company is clearly doing SOMETHING right if it keep having record sales.

You all have to remember while its vehicles do NOT have the best or latest tech, they never had. These are cars bought for the status and sumputious interiors/ride quality.

MDarringer - 11/1/2015 1:58:29 PM

-7 Boost

What record sales?

Bentley brand sales USA:

MY2013: 2964
MY2014: 3003
MY2015: 2395 (adjusted figure based on 9 month sales)

mre30 - 11/1/2015 3:42:09 PM

-1 Boost

3,000 or so a year..not so many!

Darringer/ooR - any info into how the new Maybach is doing? Its obviously not broken out but curious to see how many sales they are making.

I've never understood the whole "stretched limo / executive seat" allure. Stretched just looks silly and having a giant wood console dividing up the rear seats (and reducing seating capacity) just seems to make things claustrophobic in a previously large rear compartment.