New Bentley Continental GTC Azure 2025 review: PHEV power suits luxury convertible

Verdict

The new plug-in hybrid V8 that Bentley is rolling out across the model range feels extremely well-matched to the drop-top Bentley Continental GTC. The engine is flexible and will excite on an open road, while giving you the rich background sound you expect of a Bentley convertible. Couple this with the extra refinement of pure-electric running around town, and the GTC’s driving experience provides more layers than ever.

The third-generation Bentley Continental GT was launched in 2018 and given such a significant update last year that the firm is referring to it as an all-new car. Whether or not you agree, there’s no denying that Bentley has worked hard to give its two-door model a new lease of life – aiming to retain its crown as the ultimate cross-country cruiser.

We tried the new Continental in hard-top form last year and came away very impressed. There are subtle new design cues in the Batur-like headlights that feature no fewer than 120 individual LEDs – with different styles for the Azure car we’re testing here, and the flagship Speed model. The Azure, along with the Mulliner and the standard Continental GT and GTC get red rear light clusters, whereas the Speed gets a smoked lens instead.

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2021 Bentley

Continental GT

36,698 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L

Cash £114,800

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2020 Bentley

Continental GT

20,750 milesAutomaticPetrol6.0L

Cash £89,995

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2020 Bentley

Continental GT

12,844 milesAutomaticPetrol6.0L

Cash £104,995

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2020 Bentley

Continental GT

16,676 milesAutomaticPetrol6.0L

Cash £96,990

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Also helping to keep the GT and GTC looking fresh are the new wheel choices (22-inch rims in the case of our car), as well as new grille inserts up front, redesigned exhaust tips and a new diffuser, along with the loss of the B-shaped air vent behind the front wheel. 

The Bentley is about the same width as the new Aston Martin Vanquish and Ferrari 12Cilindri, but it’s longer and taller than both of those cars, commanding incredible presence on the road. The interior matches the exterior’s gravitas, despite staying largely the same as before; just as well, because the Continental GTC’s cabin has always been one of its highlights. 

As ever, the build quality and selection of materials in the Continental GTC are a real treat. On the Azure’s doors there’s a new ‘3D Harmony Diamond’ leather design, Azure badging, standard-fit, open-pore walnut veneers on the centre console (our car has ‘piano’ painted veneers), a choice of bright or dark chrome, plus Nappa leather seats with 15 colours to choose from. This is all before you enter Bentley’s famed Mulliner personalisation programme – a service that the maker claims 70 per cent of Continental GT and GTC customers opt for, allowing for 46 billion unique configurations.

The elegant, traditional styling of the cabin is backed up by the use of physical buttons on the dash, which all respond with reassuringly solid damping or a pleasant click. Some elements, like the indicator stalks, are bespoke to Bentley, though others like the 12.3-inch screen are shared with the wider VW Group. The infotainment system itself is similar to the one found in Porsche models, with the driver’s display sharing its layout with Audi. The Continental GTC’s rotating display is still a wonderful thing with the three handcrafted dials (a timer, temperature gauge and compass) giving the cabin a timeless feel. 

The Continental GTC’s aesthetic and ambience is everything you’d expect from a Bentley, but perhaps unexpected is the powertrain hidden within. That’s because both the Bentley Continental (and Flying Spur, for that matter) is now only available with a plug-in hybrid V8; the incredible W12 engine has been reluctantly consigned to the history books. 

There are now two plug-in hybrid, twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8s to choose from. The Continental GT we tried last year had the more potent ‘Ultra Performance Hybrid’ set up, with a combined 771bhp and 1,050Nm of torque, while the ‘High Performance Hybrid’ version we have here has 671bhp and 950Nm of torque. Yet even in its less-potent guise, the Conti still has 12bhp more than the old twin-turbo W12. 

Like the Ultra Performance Hybrid, this plug-in set-up consists of a 187bhp electric motor mated to the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, fed by a rather large 25.9kWh battery - allowing for an impressive 51 miles of electric-only range. 

While silent EV-mode suits the big Bentley incredibly well, the hybrid V8 offers up more than enough oomph – even in High Performance form. There are four drive modes to choose from: ‘B’ is Bentley’s default setting, which will mix petrol and electric power for efficiency, while Comfort does what it says on the tin. Custom mode allows the driver to tweak the settings as they deem fit. 

Stick it in Sports mode and the Continental provides a rather different driving experience. The characterful undertones of the V8 are ever present, and the gearshifts quicken up a bit while also holding the revs for longer. As has been the case with Bentleys for a while now, there’s four-wheel drive as standard – though it doesn’t mute the dynamics of the GTC. 

Switch the traction control off and this 2,636kg leviathan of a drop-top cruiser is surprisingly fun in the bends, with steering quick enough to work with any induced loss of grip at the rear from electrically-controlled limited-slip differential. Much of this can be attributed to the genius calibration of air suspension and 48-volt active anti-roll bars front and rear – a system improved over the old car with torque-vectoring to help belie the Bentley’s weight. 

That triple-chamber air suspension system and chassis technology doesn’t quite equate to sports car-levels of driving fun, though the Continental GTC isn’t just about flowing one corner into the next – you can actually attack bends now. 

Yet what really stands out is the comfort, which despite the big wheels, surpasses that of the Bentayga and is almost on a par with the sumptuous Flying Spur. Not only does the ride smother bumps and ruts with ease, the roof-down experience is virtually unspoiled by wind buffeting, too.

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