Luxury motoring will enter a new era of well-being in the Kingdom with the release of Bentley’s innovative Azure range, which will provide Bentley customers with a curated selection of features designed to enhance the comfort of the vehicle’s occupants, making every journey a relaxing stress-free experience regardless of distance.
Effortless performance and comfort over long distances have long been hallmarks of Bentley, but with the new Azure, the makers have drawn on the latest science-informed design to create a vehicle that can traverse long distances swiftly and smoothly, leaving the driver and passengers to alight at the journey’s end feeling refreshed, alert, and ready to resume their busy lives.
Azure is more than a specification; it includes tactile and visual cues designed to reduce stress and promote well-being, along with driver assistance technologies for smoother, safer journeys.
The new range will be a permanent offering across the full Bentley model lineup, including Bentayga, Bentayga EWB, Flying Spur, Continental GT, and Continental GT Convertible, and is an enticing new offering to drivers in the Kingdom seeking the ultimate motoring experience.
Peter Smith, general manager, Bentley Saudi Arabia, said: “The Azure, like our other exclusive badges, Speed and Mulliner, offers our customers clarity during the enjoyable process of choosing their ideal Bentleys. We know from the scientific research undertaken by our specialists that increased agency comes through choice, and we have taken a holistic approach to well-being behind the wheel, uniting technology, design, and craftsmanship to deliver the driver and passengers to their destination more relaxed than when they set off.”
Seating is the foundation for driving comfort and control, and all Bentley Azures feature the front seat comfort specification. With up to 22-way adjustable seats, passengers of all heights and weights can find their ideal seating position while the heating and ventilation function helps to maintain the body’s optimum temperature for comfort and alertness. When we slump, our bodies can take up to 30 percent less oxygen, reducing our ability to think and placing additional stress on the body. Azure features a massage function with six programmable settings, which promotes the micro-adjustments in muscle and posture that are so vital in preventing fatigue.
To analyze and develop Bentley’s new well-being concepts, the Azure development team engaged creative neuroscientist Katherine Templar-Lewis, from Kinda Studios, whose wide-ranging research on the external factors that influence stress was key in defining the “well-being behind the wheel” concept. Templar-Lewis’ findings inspired Bentley’s team to adopt a science-informed design, considering everything from light to the patterns we see around us, to the impact of in-car posture and the importance of thermal comfort.
Maria Mulder, head of color and trim at Bentley Motors, said: “Every fabric, sound, motion, color and touch continuously impacts our nervous system, and the Azure cabin has been finessed accordingly.” To that end, the Azure interior design specification includes “wellness quilting” — the fractal patterns of precisely crafted diamond quilted upholstery to create an eye-pleasing interplay of light and shade. While Bentley customers will always have access to the full range of wood veneers, the Azure offers a choice of three open-pore veneers: Dark Walnut, Crown-Cut Walnut and Koa, whose softer, satin, reflective quality evokes a mood of calm.
