Bentley Continental GTC Review 2025

While the degree to which the Bentley Continental GTC visual differs from its pre-facelifted namesake is subtle, what lies beneath its voluptuous bodywork is of far greater significance. Out have gone the previous petrol-only engines to be replaced with a pair of V8-powered plug-in hybrids delivering masses of performance and welcome fuel efficiency gains. Everything you need to know is here in our full Bentley Continental GTC review.

Despite being able to dispatch the 0-62mph dash in as little as 3.4 seconds, the Bentley Continental GTC isn’t simply all about straight line speed.

The best Bentleys have always been captivating drivers' cars — and now complete with PHEV technology and handling-augmenting trickery, one of the most expensive smiles in motoring won’t fall from your face like an anvil kicked off a cliff at the first sign of a bend.

Externally, the Continental GTC hasn’t changed a great deal since this generation’s introduction. This is A Good Thing. It certainly still looks the part, with freshened headlights with extended ‘eyebrows’ which are the most noticeable change up front, while its redesigned rump showcases a different bumper, boot lid, lamp clusters and exhausts. 

Its sheer road presence leaves rival expensive four-seat convertibles such as the Aston Martin DB12 Volante, the Maserati GranCabrio and the Porsche 911 Cabriolet in the shade.

On board, it's safe to say that nobody really does it quite like Bentley. A beautiful balancing act of old-fashioned elegance, proper physical controls for most functions and fastidiously crafted natural materials swathe almost every interior surface.

Should one of the four ‘standard’ versions of the Continental GTC not quite meet your needs, you may choose to follow the lead of 75% of Bentley’s clientele and employ the services of the firm’s bespoke customisation and coachbuilding arm, Mulliner, to bring your every flight of fancy to life.

Previous Bentley Continental GTCs were powered by a 4.0-litre V8 delight or a rather wonderful 6.0 litre W12 engine, both devoid of electrical assistance. In this brave new world the former engine new burbles as the foil to a choice of two plug-in hybrid systems which provide both useful electric-only driving range and reduced thirst for unleaded petrol.

With only 680PS the High Performance Hybrid is the less lusty of the pair and can be had in ‘entry-level’ Continental GTC and Azure forms. Should you require more grunt, both the Speed and Mulliner versions benefit from the Ultra Performance Hybrid alternative, its output increased to 782PS.

As has long been the case, if the performance appeals but the GTC convertible's soft-top body does not, very similar packages are available as the four-door Bentley Flying Spur saloon as well as the Continental GT coupe.

Despite its size and heft, the soft-top Bentley is an absolute riot to drive quickly — and a joy of a different kind at more sedate speeds. Air suspension, four-wheel steering and all-wheel drive provide a seductive blend of comfort, security and agility.

It’s not gripe-free, of course — no car is. In particular, the Bentley’s gearbox is overly fond of dictating the timing of downchanges, even when you’re in flappy paddle manual mode—– happily, though, you absolutely won’t notice a lack of pace accompanying this bossiness.

We also found brake pedal feel to be disconcertingly spongey through much of its travel before any real bite was experience. When you’re trying to slow 2.6 tonnes of car from healthy speeds, that rather grabs your attention.

Regardless, the Bentley Continental GTC is a charming, elegant convertible that doesn’t miss its old W12 engine in the least. The V8’s noises are still glorious, but you now have the added benefit of all-electric running if that’s your bag. 

Bentley’s boffins have conjured a bullet of a car which oozes personality and retains as much soul beneath the modernisation as anyone could wish for.

Bentley Continental GTC Hybrid: Range and charging

Whether you choose the Bentley Continental GTC with the High Performance Hybrid or the more powerful Ultra Peformance Hybrid system, they each have identical official WLTP electric-only driving ranges of 51 miles.

As with most plug-in hybrid systems, the Bentley system will serve-up the electrical power automatically in Hybrid driving mode or it can be saved for when needed by using Hold. Alternatively the Sport Hold mode preserves the majority of the battery's electricity supply, using small bursts to supplement the engine when pressing on.

While it's not cost-effective to use it regularly, Charge mode uses the engine as an on-board generator to replenish the 25.9kWh battery up to a maximum of 80% charge while you're driving.

A far less expensive solution is to use a domestic wallbox charger which can take the battery from 0-100% charge in 2 hours 45 minutes, allowing you to switch to a cheaper EV-friendly electricity tariff in the process.

Ever since it developed its Bentayga SUV, the firm has been working with a new array of active suspension systems designed to make its big, luxury cars feel smaller, more lithe and more agile. Now with the bonus of four-wheel steering lobbed in, that effort pays proper dividends in the Bentley Continental GTC.

Together with all-wheel drive and active anti-roll technology to keep the car remarkably level through corners, the latter in particular allows for softer springing without the penalty of excessive body lean in corners.

This massive convertible simply hunkers down and gets on with it, with a level of precision and composure that entirely belies its quoted 2636kg weight.

This is no B-road car but abetted by a dual-clutch gearbox that’s smoother than a freshly buttered banister, it can be pushed effortlessly down a sinuous A-road at outrageous velocities.

Moreover, although the cabin ambience might suggest otherwise, this isn’t a laid-back drive, it’s relentlessly engaging and genuinely entertaining.

Those who once marvelled at the agility of a big car with the weight of the old W12 engine in the bows will be little short of amazed by the additional gouts of nimble wrought by the introduction of the V8 unit together with its plug-in hybrid accoutrements.

The way the latest Continental GTC turns in to corners is faintly astonishing, with a response to the wheel you’d be happy to feel in a hot hatchback less than half its weight.

The only fly in the ointment is the occasional break down in the pillowy, cradled suppleness of the Bentley’s ride. The price to be paid for its agility and connectedness to the road surface is the occasional intrusion of some road surface noise and a tendency not to smother shorter, sharper lumps and bumps to the extent you might wish for.

Larger imperfections and expansion joints can sometimes send an undignified slap into the cabin via the suspension when hit at speed. That’s a pity because on good surfaces at pace, the car remains unerringly level and unflustered.

Today’s Bentley Continental GTC range is exclusively plug-in hybrid-powered albeit with two levels of potent performance.

Pairing electric drive with the familiar 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine is the High Performance Hybrid used for the core GTC and Azure versions. With combined outputs of 680PS and 930Nm of torque the Bentley will dart from a standstill to 62mph in 3.9 seconds before powering on to a 168mph top speed.

Should that be insufficient for your needs then the Continental GTC Speed and Mulliner fitted with the Ultra Performance Hybrid system might be more to your tastes. The same PHEV system here produces 782PS and 1000Nm of torque to shave the 0-62mph sprint to 3.4 seconds and elevating the top speed to 177mph.

In anything but Sport driving mode, pressing the Continental GTC’s starter button elicits nothing more than the gentle whirr of the climate control coming to life, but you’ll have to be pretty much devoid of soul of any kind if you can resist a Sport button that fires up its rumblingly glorious engine, especially when the four-layer roof is folded down.

In electric mode, this drive system is quieter than the old W12 engine, yet in full flight it offers more character and better responses to the right foot than the V8 S model it replaced. The burble of idle turning to a full-throated and entirely intoxicating snarl as the Bentley inhales the asphalt ahead at frankly breathtaking pace.

Lashings of torque on tap a given, the V8 engine is also a delicious aural companion to proceedings, hence it’s nigh-on impossible to remain in electric-only mode for any significant length of time.

The Bentley Continental GTC does not have an official crash-safety rating from Euro NCAP because it is a low-volume, high-cost vehicle. However, it is equipped with numerous standard and optional safety features, plus its solid build and shared underpinnings with other well-regarded luxury cars, such as the Porsche Panamera, suggest it is a safe vehicle.

Key safety equipment includes a robust body construction with pop-up roll hoops for occupant protection in a rollover, a full suite of airbags including front and side thorax, advanced electronic stability and braking systems, as well as various driver-assistance technologies. All-wheel-drive provides extra security on slippery roads.

Driver assistance systems include predictive adaptive cruise control with lane guidance, lane-departure warning, emergency assist, remote park assist and 3D surround view cameras.    

Despite being 4894mm long with a wheelbase of 2848mm, the Bentley Continental GTC still doesn’t feel like a car capable of comfortably accommodating four adults. Two with two kids behind, sure, but those beyond the earliest of teenage years will likely find the rear seats a tight fit.

Bentley has really thrown the kitchen sink at the front seat occupants. Specifications can include heated armrests and seatbelt buckles trimmed with hide, to a Wellness Seating option featuring Posture Adjust and Auto Climate.

This system flexes the contours of various seat pads at intervals to massage life back into potentially stiffening musculature. Trying to locate the relevant section of the on-screen menu that switches it off left us increasingly enraged, rather undoing its good work.

Life up front may be luxurious but there’s disappointingly little legroom on offer for those astern. The rear seatbacks are also rather more upright than some would consider kind.

There’s plenty of headroom with the roof raised but anyone sat in the back two seats are advised not to try and keep anything whatsoever on their heads as wind buffeting is sufficiently powerful to guarantee a colourful wake of hats, toupees and badly tied headscarves at anything approaching cruising speed.

However, the Continental GTC’s biggest sin is that the accommodation of the hybrid battery packs beneath its floor has reduced boot space to a woeful 134 litres. 

Its petrol tank capacity may be a continent-crushing 80 litres but the accompanying boot is unquestionably inadequate for the sartorial requirements of a couple cruising down to the Cote d’Azur in such style.

Inside the Bentley Continental GTC is a beautiful balancing act of old-school elegance, proper physical buttons and switchgear for most of the controls, plus fastidiously crafted wood, leather, linen accents and contrast stitching — the whole smelling every bit as good as it looks.

Choose one in a higher level of specification and the ante is further upped with animated LED Welcome Lamps by Mulliner — Bentley’s personal commissioning division — deep-pile overmats front and rear into which you’ll want to kick off your shoes and curl your toes, bespoke seat embroidery, treadplates and badging, a garage door opener (natch) and a fabulous Naim stereo upgrade.

Central to the Bentley Continental GTC’s dashboard is a rotating Toblerone which displays a matching veneered panel, the said timber punctuated by a trio of analogue dials or a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system.

Unless you find modern LCD intrusion in your crown cut veneer a little unseemly, there’s very little not to like.

The system is readily navigable through a choice of shortcut buttons beneath the screen, a line of quick access zones to the far right of the screen itself, or a small rotary knob on the centre console for those who prefer to keep the legacy of fingerprints off the screen.

It also features enhanced voice control with natural speech recognition, which you bring to attention with the words ‘Hey Bentley’. Slightly disappointing, that — ‘I say, Bentley’ seems rather more appropriate.

Choose a high specification Continental GTC and you’re likely to fall for the aural charms of the 2200-Watt, 18-speaker Naim for Bentley premium audio system equipped with eight sounds modes, active bass and two kinaesthetic shakers. Nope, us neither, but the sound is utterly sublime.

Quite why Bentley should also feel the need to offer a similarly extravagant package from Bang & Olufsen is something of a mystery. All the more so because, in terms of power and clarity, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Continental GTC’s standard 650-Watt, 10-speaker entry-level system.

There are four models in the Bentley Continental GTC range to choose from, although referring to the nameless High Performance Hybrid-engined version as ‘entry-level’ does it a disservice, especially considering it’s priced at almost £223,000.

That same drive system is fitted to the Continental GTC Azure elevating the price to a whisker shy of £262,000.

Powering the Continental GTC Speed and Mulliner is the Ultra High Performance version of the PHEV system — the latter will set you back approaching £260,000, the latter nudges £280,000.

In this context, the Aston Martin DB12 Volante’s starting price of £211,000 and the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet’s £209,100 both seem like something of a steal, while the Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo’s £169,585 asking price has an air of bargain basement about it.

Given its instalments will be over £3000 per month on finance, if ever the old expression ‘if you need to ask, you can’t afford it’ were applicable, it’s here with the Bentley Continental GTC.

Yet given its performance credentials, these latest plug-in hybrid versions might actually be deemed to be hilariously efficient. Thanks entirely to its 51 miles of electric-only range its PHEV technology elicits an official WLTP weighted fuel consumption of 66mpg for both levels of performance.

This is still a heavy, powerful car. Lean on the performance and the fuel needle drops quickly, especially if you’ve already drained the battery — or didn’t have it fully charged to begin with. The 80-litre fuel tank does at least give decent range on a long trip, but overall you’ll still need deep pockets to keep one on the road.

Not likely to be of particular concern to most Bentley customers is confirmation that the Continental GTC is priced comfortably beyond the £40,000 threshold for the Expensive Car Supplement, ensuring an additional £425 bill on top of the £195 charge for annual VED car tax, during years two to six of ownership.

Insurance and servicing are in the same ballpark as other six-figure GT cars — eye-watering compared with mainstream prices. At least expect a highly personalised and attentive service from your Bentley dealer.

Bentley only offers a three-year warranty on the Continental GTC but it has unlimited mileage, so it’s great for those who intend to use their car as the name suggests — to cross continents.

Large, luxury cars like this aren’t often the most reliable cars — they don’t need to be because they’re not usually daily drivers. The Continental GTC feels more likely than most to be an everyday commuting machine, it’s reassuring to think that most of the engineering underneath is based on well-proven Volkswagen Group technology.

It seems uncouth to refer to the four versions of the Bentley Continental GTC presently available as trim levels, but that is essentially what they are. The least expensive version is nameless, while above it are Azure, Speed and Mulliner.

For the entry-level Bentley Continental GTC, standard equipment includes:

• 21-inch Ten-twin-spoke alloy wheels
• Black-painted brake callipers
• Bentley Active Chassis adaptive air suspension
• Black matrix grille with chrome surround and central vane
• Matt black lower bumper grilles
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 360-degree parking camera system
• Chrome badges for bonnet, wings and boot lid
• Chrome exterior detailing
• Full LED matrix headlights with automatic main beam
• Full LED tail lights
• Electrically adjustable, heated, auto-dimming and folding door mirrors
• Automatic windscreen wipers
• Acoustic windscreen and side windows with infra-red light barrier
• Keyless entry and starting
• Electrically soft-closing doors
• Electrically operated bootlid
• 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity
• Wireless smartphone charging pad
• Bentley Signature Audio speaker system
• 12-way electrically adjustable, heated straight-fluted design front seats
• Nappa leather upholstery on the seats, door panels and lower dashboard
• Leather-wrapped, electrically adjustable and heated steering wheel
• Leather-wrapped gear lever
• Crown Cut Walnut veneer for dashboard and door panels
• Multi-zone climate control
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Illuminated door sill stainless steel treadplates

Additional features found on the Bentley Continental GTC Azure include:

• 22-inch Azure alloy wheels
• Gloss black matrix grille with chrome surround and vertical vanes
• Bright chrome lower bumper grilles
• Jewel-design fuel filler and oil filler caps
• Panoramic glass sunroof with two-part electrically operated blinds
• 24-way electrically adjustable, heated, ventilated and massaging Harmony Diamond Quilt design front seats with embroidered Azure emblems
• 3D Harmony Diamond leather door panels
• Open Pore Crown Cut Walnut veneer for dashboard and door panels

Further equipment for the Bentley Continental GTC Speed package includes:

• 22-inch Speed alloy wheels
• Red-painted brake callipers
• Bentley Peformance Active Chassis adaptive air suspension
• Dark tint matrix grille and surround
• Dark tint exterior detailing
• Dark tint head and tail light lenses
• Sports exhaust
• 12-way electrically adjustable, heated Speed design front seats with embroidered Speed emblems
• Nappa leather and Dinamica seat upholstery
• 3D Precision Diamond leather door panels
• Leather- and Dinamica-wrapped, electrically adjustable and heated steering wheel
• Dinamica-wrapped gear lever
• Piano Black veneer for dashboard and door panels

Specifying the flagship Bentley Continental GTC Mulliner adds:

• 22-inch Mulliner alloy wheels
• Black-painted brake callipers
• Mulliner Floating Diamond grille with illuminated Flying B mascot
• Bright chrome lower bumper grilles
• Satin silver door mirror housings
• 24-way electrically adjustable, heated, ventilated and massaging Precision Diamond Quilt design front seats with embroidered Mulliner emblems
• Nappa and Olive-tanned leather upholstery
• Grand Black veneer with Mulliner overlays for dashboard and door panels