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MOTORS Simply superb saloons
THE SIMPLICITY OF SALOONS
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The sporty style and practicality of a saloon car is underrated these days. Not only is the style of saloon simple and almost sporty, they are as practical - if not more practical - than the fleet of fuel-guzzling 4x4s and SUVs... Words: Tilly Wilkinson.
INTHESE UNUSUALTIMES, so many of us are having to juggle jobs we’re not quite used to tackling - for me, that means this month’s motors feature.
For my colleague Rob Davis, you only have to mention the word ‘motors’ for his ears to prick up, eyes widen and fingers twitch in excitement and anticipation over his keyboard. Horse power, boot space and alloy wheels are not words that thrill me - I’m more of a flagstone floors, bifold doors and inglenook fireplaces kind of writer - but alas, I will try to do Rob’s pride-and-joy feature justice this month with a selection of saloons. Saloons seemed to be all the rage until Range Rover and other classy 4x4s took the limelight, also boasting practicality, luxury and style, but when you compare the two, I think we’ve been hoodwinked. I’m not knocking Range Rovers - they’re still a firm favourite - but I’m not sure we can make the argument that they’re the most practical car without compromising on style and luxury on the market. First of all, saloons are lighter and lower to the ground making them sportier, much easier to drive, smoother on turns and more affordable at the rarer trips to the petrol station. Their lighter load translates in the price tag too - does this mean we’re paying more for a 4x4 to enjoy less performance and worse fuel economy? Ouch. There’s no denying that Range Rovers are beautiful but many of the other ‘stylish’ 4x4s out there aren’t exactly the sexiest hunks of metal on four wheels. Although Porsche, Jaguar and Mercedes are reputable brands, their clunky 4x4s look like someone pumped their classy flagships with steroids. The long, slender style of a saloon is classy and does justice to an adaptation of a sports
car; if sports cars are unruly teenagers, saloons are silver foxes. But perhaps size matters? After all, 4x4s usually come with the option of seven seats, ample boot room and a high roof. First of all, unless you’re Steve Martin in Cheaper by the Dozen, the extra seats will always be a waste of money. When it comes to ample boot room, saloon cars are fairly well known for also having this feature and as for a high roof - well it all comes down to whether you’re willing to pay thousands of pounds more just for extra air overhead. And please spare the ‘offroad’ advantage. We both know the most offroading you will be doing is parking on a slightly raised curb outside a village pub or driving over a few potholes down a backroad. As cool as it is that Range Rovers can scale Snowdon like mountain goats, it’s just not a feature you will ever see the benefit of, and yet it’s a benefit you’re paying for. Now we’ve weighed up the advantages of investing in the underrated saloon, which is best? Over the past year, some of the best manufacturers have launched their latest, so we’ve picked options from Bentley, Audi, BMW and Mercedes to suit. First of all, Bentley’s third generation of the luxury four-door Grand Tourer ‘Flying Spur’ has seen some striking enhancements, and there’s no doubt it’s one of the most elegant, stylish and classy saloons on the market. It seems to combine sports sedan agility with modern limousine refinement and of course, it’s fitted with cutting-edge technology and exquisite modern craftsmanship as one can only expect from a Bentley. If you’re looking for something a little sportier, BMW’s M340i xDrive features a six-cylinder in-line engine producing 374hp - apparently a hell of a lot of horse power.
OUR favourite SALOONS
Mercedes AMG E53
Cost: From £65,000 Engine/Motor: 3-litre 6-cylinder with exhaust gas turbocharger. Performance: 0-60mph: 4.5 seconds. Top speed 155mph. Uniqueness: Voice recognition software and modern cabin. Other Highlights: MBUX infotainment system, performance steering, all wheel drive and drive programmes.
Audi A3
Cost: From £26,000 Engine/Motor: Choice of three - two 1.5-litre TFSI units and one 2.0-litre TDI, all majoring on efficiency. Performance: 0-60mph: 8.1 seconds. Top speed 151mph. Uniqueness: Matrix LED lighting with new digital daytime running lights. Other Highlights: Digital cockpit and touch display as standard. Mild hybrid technology in some versions.
BMW M340i xDrive
Cost: From £48,000 Engine/Motor: Six-cylinder with TwinPower Turbo technology 374 hp. Performance: 0-60mph: 4.1 seconds. Top speed 155mph. Uniqueness: Aerodynamic design. Other Highlights: Futuristic styling.
Bentley Flying Spur
Cost: From £168,000 Engine/Motor: 6.0-litre, twin turbocharged W12 engine. Performance: 0-60mph: 3.8 seconds. Top speed 207mph. Other Highlights: Designed, engineered and handcrafted in Great Britain.
Top/Left: The sleek slender AMG. We love the sloped back feature of this model. Bottom/Left: The BMW has been designed to be aerodynamic, thus reaching speeds of 155mph.
Brakes and suspension have also been designed with sport and power in mind. It’s just cool and yet practical for everyday life.
The Audi A3 Saloon has always been a popular choice, but the model’s reboot in April has given it almost futuristic features and a very comfortable experience.
First of all, the look of the A3 is everything we’re looking for - a practical five-door sleek saloon with sports styling and features. It also comes with Matrix LED lighting and a new digital daytime running light (for selected models). The digital cockpit and touch display comes as standard.
And finally we have my favourite, the Mercedes AMG E 53 4Matic. It’s the newest of the cars we’re featuring being released in May this year. The three litre engine makes the new AMG fun to drive and the extensively revised suspension makes it comfortable too. If Audi looks futuristic, the new Mercedes is futuristic. From the strip lighting to the incredible infotainment system and voice recognition technology - that’s right, it has its own Alexa/Siri - this car comes with everything you could possibly need or want a car to do to aid in everyday life.
If you’re going for speed and sport quality, opt for the BMW. If you’re after a saloon that focuses on quality and luxury, the Bentley is the best choice. For a saloon with a ‘younger’ look, the Audi will appeal while the Mercedes is an all round sporty, modern and luxurious car.
We’ll still be driving around the county in our 4x4s because let’s face it - they look cool, feel cool and they’re great for families living in the countryside - but we hope you weigh up all your options next time you’re on the look out for a car that combines all your everyday essentials in one classy sleek style.
Below: The luxurious interiors of Bentley’s Flying Spur. Right: BMW’s sporty M340i xDrive with red interior.
HORSE POWER
Bentley Mulliner has just introduced a new equestrian edition to the Bentley Mulliner Collections portfolio. This collection is the epitome of luxury and class, but the brand new equestrian style is a near perfect design with all of Bentley ’s quality fittings and fixtures...
T HIS ONE OF A KIND Continental GT Convertible embodies a myriad of distinctive features,building on the many strengths of Bentley’s iconic open top Grand Tourer. Inspired by the greatest racecourse in the world and home to the most exhilarating and prestigious event of the horse racing calendar, The Cheltenham Festival, the sole example of the Equestrian Edition has been specially commissioned by Bentley Bristol and hand built by Bentley Mulliner in Crewe, Cheshire. To celebrate the car’s inspiration, it was recently photographed outside Jackdaws Castle - the world-renowned state of the art equestrian training facility and home of Jonjo O’Neill Racing, just 10 miles from Cheltenham Racecourse. Sumptuous embroidery and artisanal marquetry rarefies the Equestrian Edition. Horse and rider silhouettes adorn all four seats, that are finished in the aptly named sustainable Saddle hide.
A striking Cumbrian Green secondary hide complements the bespoke equestrian theme. The same horse and rider silhouette accompanies Bentley Mulliner branding in the front fascia, where lavish gold detailing stylishly accentuates the straight grain walnut single veneer and box wood inlays. Continuing the interior theme, the diamond quilting now synonymous with Bentley Mulliner is crafted using an authentic Tweed fabric, with a contrasting light blue stitch introducing a modern touch and pr oviding a distinctive feature to the door inlay s and rear quarter panels.
The iconic Bentley Mulliner team have also applied their trademark branded treadplates to complete the bespoke interior of the Equestrian Edition.
To the exterior, a specially commissioned and distinctive shade of green called Spruce is paired with Blackline Specification, which replace bright chrome with gloss black versions to all exterior brightware, bezels, radiator grill and exhaust outlets. Bold 22-inch wheels in gloss black complete the specification. The car comes equipped with both suites of Bentley’s state of the art driver assistance technologies. The Bentley Touring specification includes Lane assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Bentley Safeguard Plus, Night vision and Head-up display. Bentley’s City Specification incorporates Top view camera, Traffic sign recognition, City assist, Pedestrian warning, Reversing traffic warning, Automatic dimming mirrors and Hands-free boot opening. It really is a one of a kind, beautiful car inside out with a classic Bentley finish and yet all the modern software and technology one can expect in such an incredible vehicle in this day and age. Bentley Mulliner is renowned throughout the automotive world for crafting some of the most individual Bentleys ever created. Bentley Mulliner is actually the birthplace of coachbuilding (designing and building the body of cars as passenger carrying vehicles). Bentley is in fact the oldest automotive coachbuilder in the world. The experienced team, supported by in-house engineers and designers at the headquarters in Crewe, prides itself on an a rather long history of fulfilling the desires
and demands of all of its Bentley customers purchasing these vehicles worldwide. The new equestrian model is not all that’s new for the brand. A three-portfolio structure sees an expansion of Bentley Mulliner in the coming months. While Bentley Mulliner Collections provides bespoking services to Bentley’s existing model range - which is where you’ll find the equestrian model - Bentley Mulliner Classic will deliver classic car restorations (such as last year’s 1939 Corniche) and Continuation S eries which includes Bentley’s iconic 1929 Team Blower. Finally, Bentley Mulliner Coachbuilt is defining the future of coachbuilding, and debuted the new Bentley Mulliner Bacalar in Crewe a month or so ago. If you want a car that illustrates your own passions, that is the epitome of quality and luxury, the new Equestrian Edition from Bentley Mulliner might be the car for you.
BENTLEY MULLINER
Price: Pricing hasn’t been disclosed but the Continental GT starts at £151,800. Engine: 6.0-litre W12 petrol engine. Performance: 0-60mph in 3.7sec; 207mph top speed. Economy: 23.3 mpg (combined). Equipment: Bentley’s City specification and Bentley’s Touring specification.
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