Magnificence Is at Its Finest With the World's First Airline Seats From Bentley

First and foremost, the numbers: there are 22 ways in which you can adjust the rear seats (despite this figure, we still live in a three-dimensional universe, yes. Bear with me for a moment, details are below), 0.1 incremental units of the ambient temperature (Celsius) that the system measures 40 times every second, and 177 individual pressure points that can and will be stimulated by the seat’s intricate massage features.

We also get six independent pressure zones, 12 electric motors (in one single car back seat!), seven predefined thermic comfort levels, 40 increase in efficiency percentage of Auto Climate mode over the Manual option, and one master ECU specifically assigned for Seat Motion and Wellbeing.

Alright, so we know that Bentayga is one British synonym for luxury. But their newest contraption is right out of a sci-fi work. In the carmaker’s own words and (humor), they “offer the finest rear accommodation since the Mulsanne”. Basically, from your cervical vertebrae all the way down to your ankles, the treat is one push of a button away.

Now, massage seats have been around in vehicles for a good number of years. But this is not just your regular everyday normal gluteal soreness remover. The British scientific side kicked in and Bentley got hold of a master chiropractor to develop this masterpiece of road-going relaxation.

All motorists know all too well the pains of long road trips. At one point we simply give in to gravity and lack of motion and we sink into the seats of our vehicles. Of course, there is always the option of pulling over, getting out, stretching our limbs and carrying on. To the same outcome. Stranded in confined postures make the body prone to lower back and leg fatigue.

Bentley’s seats discard all this to the rear end of automotive traveling. The knowledge gathered from Comfort Motion Global enabled the UK manufacturer to develop a technological way to tackle this pain. By making tiny adjustments to the occupant’s body posture, the seat reliefs stress with no less than 177 pressure points. The slight pneumatic action of the “activation zones” allow better blood circulation.

Of course, the seats can learn various types of body shapes and sizes and act accordingly. Furthermore, they are in sync with the vehicle’s motions, thus making the ride smooth as air.

Speaking of which, let’s talk about that for a moment. Ventilation is also a crucial factor for stress relief while being seated. Bentley boasts a “world first seat surface sensing system for thermal comfort.” Engineered to laboratory-like precision, the sensors measure the body-seat contact surface temperature and adjust it according to one of the seven settings. Here’s the nerd part: each measurement is repeated 40 times a second. And the corrections are made by tenths of a centigrade at a time. To put it in plain English, our own body thermal sensors can only detect variations of one degree of more. Again, citing Bentley, “live data allows the system to activate before the passenger even knows it is required.” I believe it reads minds.

While the seven settings seem a bit too much, bear in mind that trials have shown they will scarcely be needed on a day-to-day basis. Most passengers prefer the neutral (or “Zero”) setting (the optimal comfort, according to the car manufacturer). But there are also variations above and below the proverbial 0. Depending on travel conditions, the seats warm up to relieve back pain or cool down to fend off a mild fever. And, of course, there are the extreme settings for extreme circumstances, such as climate specifics.

Remember, this is only seats warming and cooling and has nothing to do with the car’s AC. And while the heating system is making use of existing technologies, the ventilation is far superior to anything else on the market (or so Bentley claims) – about 80 percent more air is circulated than in older Bentley seat ventilation systems. And there is also the energy efficiency of the thing: while in Auto mode, the power consumption is almost half of that of the Manual mode.

Talk about lean back and enjoy the ride, right? Well, yes you can do that in the back Airline Seat of the Bentayga EWB. And to top it off you can even move the front seat away from you, allowing only the deployable footrest mounted in the back of it to stay just within your feet’s reach. In good English tradition, kicking away the other seat bears the name of “VIP mode”.

And just in case you need extra comfort or simply want more control over the quality of your ride, you can adjust the seat in 22 ways. Now, I know for a fact the three dimensions of physical reality are still in effect, so it’s quite a challenge to imagine what the other 19 adjustments actually do. Allegedly the seats morph the body shape and arrange for work or relaxation. A dozen electric motors work quietly under the occupant to provide continuous and luxurious spa-level comfort.

In fact, the seats are so intelligent, they have their own master Seat Motion&Wellbeing ECU to oversee the flawlessness of the whole system’s functioning.