7:04 am, September 21, 2022
A single customer’s request was enough to encourage Bentley to create a business class reclining rear seat in its Bentayga SUV.
The £8,400 optional extra came as a result of one special customer who asked if Bentley could do anything to improve the luxury car’s comfort.
‘The design was based on a customer asking what could be done to the rear seats as they suffered from back pain,’ said a spokesman for the British-based luxury manufacturer.
‘The customer wanted more comfort as they spent a lot of time in the back of their Bentayga and they put a request in.
‘That one person’s idea sparked the Airline Seat introduction.’
The £8,400 optional extra offers the occupant sat behind the front passenger seat in the £211,400 car the ability to recline their seat and stretch out.
At the touch of a button on a removable tablet that controls the seat, the backrest reclines, the seat cushion extends, the front seat folds forward and a foot rest pops out.
The seats are controlled with a removable tablet
The Airline Seat also has a back, shoulder and leg massage function built in.
It uses 18 air-powered pressure pads to knead muscles and can constantly monitor the occupant to keep them at exactly the right temperature.
The 22-way adjustable seats are now expected to be specified in at least half of the Bentayga Extended Wheel Base models sold.
Clever tech built into the seats constantly monitors the occupant’s posture to make fine adjustments during the drive to make sure they’re comfortable.
Airline Seats are crammed with sensors
The air pockets can be inflated and deflated in 177 different combinations throughout the seat to adjust for comfort as the journey changes.
Sensors also take readings every fraction of a second to monitor the passenger’s temperature and use heating panels and cooling fans to adjust the heat.
The system senses temperature and humidity with an accuracy of 0.1°C every 25 milliseconds.
The Airline Seats are only available as an option on the new longer wheelbase SUV as it has an additional 180mm built into the rear of the car for rear passenger comfort.
