Skip advert
Advertisement

New Rolls-Royce Ghost 2020 review

The all-new luxury Rolls-Royce Ghost saloon brings new levels of refinement

Overall Auto Express rating

4.5

How we review cars
Find your Rolls-Royce Ghost
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car
Advertisement

Verdict

The new Ghost is a masterclass when it comes to luxury and refinement. The attention to detail and depth of engineering are staggering, as is the price, even before you start adding on options. Rolls-Royce has a monopoly on this section of the market, so in reality, it can charge whatever it likes. But it certainly doesn’t put customers off; the factory at Goodwood has never been busier.

Advertisement - Article continues below

This is the Rolls-Royce for those who want something a little less ‘ostentatious’ than a Phantom. That’s according to the company that makes it; to you or me, the all-new Ghost is still a five-metre long, 2.5-tonne, £249,600 chunk of pure, undiluted luxury.

Rolls-Royce says that the new Ghost is the most technologically advanced car it has ever produced. There are only two parts carried over from the outgoing version: the Spirit of Ecstasy that sits proud on the bonnet, and the umbrellas hidden within the doors.

The new Ghost is based on Rolls-Royce’s latest aluminium chassis that it refers to as the ‘architecture of luxury’; it’s new to the Ghost, but can also be found beneath the Cullinan SUV and flagship Phantom.

Despite the Ghost being the ‘most advanced’ model Rolls-Royce has ever made, its motive power remains delightfully old-fashioned without a hint of electrical assistance: a 6.75-litre V12 twin-turbo that develops 563bhp and 850Nm of torque.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

The Ghost’s development process was long (around six years), with thousands of engineering hours spent on developing technology that is designed to go unnoticed by customers – the idea that the whole experience should look and feel effortless.

For some context, here are a few of the Ghost’s engineering ‘solutions’: there’s 100kg of sound insulation throughout the car to improve refinement, the internals of the air vents have been sand-blasted to reduce the amount of wind noise the system makes while operating, and channels of different lengths run from the cabin to the boot to remove low-frequency noise when travelling at speed. It’s attention to detail that you simply won’t find anywhere else.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Rolls-Royce says the Ghost is the ‘driver’s car’ in its model line-up, but from the moment you climb in, it’s immediately apparent that this isn’t a car you’re going to drive like a hot hatch. For starters, there are no driving modes, no paddles behind the steering wheel to operate the gearbox and no buttons that allow you to fiddle around with the Ghost’s suspension or powertrain set-up.

The V12 fires up and settles to a distant hum somewhere under the elongated bonnet. At low to medium speeds, it’s barely audible, the eight-speed auto slices through the gears without detection, and the insulation and refinement are so good the Ghost is relaxing at town speeds.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Despite the vast reserves of power available, the Ghost isn’t a car that is driven in a spirited manner. Every input is made with delicacy; the setting is trademark Rolls-Royce-light, which makes it an incredibly graceful car to waft along in, but there’s no feel coming through the rim. It can make negotiating country roads unnerving, especially given that the car is more than two metres wide.

Given the size and mass of the Ghost, it’s not surprising that there’s some roll and lean through corners – even more reason to be ever-so gentle with inputs. But call upon the power available to you and the Ghost really moves. There’s no frantic changing of gear or spike in revs, because the Ghost does fast on its own terms; all 850Nm of torque is available from just 1,600rpm, so as you press the throttle there’s a deep-chested hum from the engine and a graceful shove in the back as speed is quickly piled on.

Ride quality and comfort are perhaps the Ghost’s strongest qualities. The suspension comprises double wishbones at the front, a multi-link set-up at the rear and air suspension with adaptive dampers all round – nothing unusual there. What takes it to the next level is Rolls-Royce’s Planar Suspension System, which features an additional mass damper fitted to the upper wishbones of the front suspension. In layman’s terms, it’s a damper for a damper, designed to further soften lumps and bumps you might feel from the road.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Add to that the Flagbearer system, which uses cameras in the windscreen to scan the road ahead and set up the suspension to best cope with imminent bumps, and the result is quite remarkable. The Ghost effortlessly glides along the road; it is difficult to think of a more relaxing and cosseting car to cover ground in. 

A Bentley Flying Spur is a more engaging car to drive, but simply doesn’t compete when it comes to effortless comfort and refinement. Then again, a Flying Spur is almost £100,000 cheaper, so they’re hardly direct rivals to begin with.

As you’d expect of a £250,000 car, the fit and finish is pretty flawless, and Rolls has ‘decluttered’ the cabin by removing some buttons and cleaning up the centre console. The interior can be trimmed in any type of wood, leather or animal skin customers ask for; the combinations are almost endless.

You’ll also find a list of optional extras that wouldn’t look out of place in a boutique hotel, such as lambswool floor mats, a central cool chamber (a fridge to you and me), a rear-seat theatre configuration, picnic tables and a comfort entry system. There are no prices for individual options, though. Firstly because that would be uncouth, and secondly Rolls says its customers don’t need to know; if they want it, they’ll have it. As an example, our test car was specced up to an eye-widening £351,480.

Model:Rolls-Royce Ghost
Price:£249,600
Engine:6.75-litre V12 twin-turbo
Power/torque:563bhp/850Nm
Transmission:Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive 
0-62mph:4.8 seconds
Top speed:155mph
Economy:18.8mpg
CO2:343g/km
On sale:Now
Skip advert
Advertisement

Our latest car deals

Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £27,565Avg. savings £2,749 off RRP*Compare Offers
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £23,500Avg. savings £4,311 off RRP*Compare Offers
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £21,210Avg. savings £1,862 off RRP*Compare Offers
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £35,080Avg. savings £3,600 off RRP*Compare Offers
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Have you considered?

BMW i7 review
BMW i7 - front tracking

BMW i7 review

In-depth reviews
14 Aug 2024
New BMW i7 eDrive50 M Sport review: RWD luxury EV with a sporty twist
BMW i7 - front

New BMW i7 eDrive50 M Sport review: RWD luxury EV with a sporty twist

Road tests
9 Aug 2024
Range Rover D350 HSE: long-term test review
Auto Express editor-in-chief Steve Fowler standing with multiple generations of Range Rover

Range Rover D350 HSE: long-term test review

Long-term tests
12 Oct 2023

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: new MG4 long-range EV for a ridiculously low price
MG4 - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: new MG4 long-range EV for a ridiculously low price

The MG4 is one of our favourite EVs on account of its sheer value for money. It’s our Deal of the Day for 11 December
News
11 Dec 2024
Skoda Elroq review
Skoda Elroq - front

Skoda Elroq review

The Skoda Elroq is even more appealing than the bigger Skoda Enyaq, and just as brilliant
In-depth reviews
9 Dec 2024
ZEV Mandate to spoil Christmas for 1,000s of petrol and diesel car buyers
Nissan Cube

ZEV Mandate to spoil Christmas for 1,000s of petrol and diesel car buyers

Got an ICE car on order? Don’t bet on collecting it before the New Year…
News
10 Dec 2024