Wellbeing Behind The Wheel – The New Azure Range

Effortless performance and comfort over long distances have long been hallmarks of Bentley, which is now building on this reputation with a new family available across all five model lines. The new Azure range will provide Bentley customers with a curated selection of features designed to enhance the wellbeing and comfort of the vehicle’s occupants, making every journey a relaxing experience regardless of distance.

Azure is more than a specification; it includes tactile and visual cues designed to reduce stress and promote wellbeing, along with driver assistance technologies for smoother, safer journeys; allowing driver and passengers to alight at journey’s end feeling refreshed, alert and ready to resume their busy lives.

Safety, Serenity and Relaxation
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, from the 95th percentile male to the 5th percentile female, 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 take in up to 30 per cent less oxygen, reducing our ability to think, and placing additional stress on the body. Azure features a massage function with six programmable settings promoting the constant micro-adjustments in muscle and posture that are so vital in preventing fatigue. Adjustable side bolsters, electric seatbelt adjustment and comfort headrests complete the Front Seat Comfort Specification.

Another key element of the Azure range specification is Bentley Dynamic Ride, Bentley’s 48V active anti-roll control system that enhances ride comfort and limits roll for smoother, more relaxing journeys.

All Azure models feature the Touring Specification of driver assistance systems, imbuing the driver with a sense of confidence and relaxed control whatever the traffic or weather conditions. Adaptive Cruise Control* maintains a set distance from the vehicle in front, slowing down (to a halt if necessary) when the vehicle in front does so and resuming the set speed once the lane is clear. Together with Lane Assist*, Traffic Assist* and Bentley Safeguard, the Bentley’s suite of onboard radar and camera systems constantly monitor the surrounding traffic and roads and can intervene if necessary to prevent or avoid an accident.

The Science of Wellbeing
Stress plays an increasing part in our lives – according to a recent Global Workplace report, daily stress reached a record high in 2021. Another report, co-sponsored by Brake and Direct Line, found that 71 per cent of drivers surveyed had lost concentration on the road within the last 12 months as a result of stress or annoyance.

To analyse and develop Bentley’s new concept of ‘wellbeing behind the wheel’, 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 Azure’s suite of features.

Considering everything from light, and the patterns we see around us, to the impact of in-car posture and the importance of thermal comfort, Katherine’s research was effectively paired with Bentley’s own measurements to give science-based strategy around the relaxing experience of travelling in a Bentley, as a driver or a passenger.

Careful Interplay of Colour, Texture and Tactility
The tactile Azure interior design specification includes ‘wellness quilting’; the fractal patterns of precisely crafted diamond quilted upholstery create an eye-pleasing interplay of light and shade. And while Bentley customers will always have access to the full collection of wood veneers, the Azure range offers a choice of three open pore veneers; Dark Walnut, Crown-Cut Walnut and Koa, which possess a softer, satin, reflective quality that evokes a mood of calm.

Elegant and Distinctive Design
Azure variants will be offered across the full Bentley model line-up, including Bentayga, Bentayga EWB, Flying Spur, Continental GT and Continental GT Convertible, with models displaying ‘Azure’ badging on the exterior, treadplates, fascia and seat embroidery.

Other design constants for Azure include bright chrome lower bumper grilles, unique 22” ten-spoke wheels, wellness quilted seats and finishing touches such as the Bentley ‘jewel’ filler cap. The overall effect is elegant, visually pleasing and timeless.

The Pinnacle of Comfort and Wellness
The new Bentayga Extended Wheelbase is the pinnacle model in the Azure range, building even further on the Azure, and comes with the addition of the most advanced seat ever fitted to the car – Bentley’s Airline Seat Specification. Available in the rear cabin for the four-seat and 4+1 layouts, the seat includes 22-ways of adjustment and world-firsts in a new auto climate sensing system and postural adjustment technology, along with Relax and Business modes.

Bentley customers live life to the full, and the demands of today’s ‘always on’ world can engender a sense of stress and mental fatigue – a Bentley Azure provides a haven of calm, both sonically, visually and emotionally, providing the opportunity to recharge one’s mental batteries, and alight feeling relaxed and refreshed.