Rolls-Royce Phantom review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

If there’s a more comfortable way to travel than in any of the chairs in the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, it hasn’t been invented yet. The pure opulence of the Phantom’s spacious interior, coupled to its amazing whisper-quiet refinement and featherbed ride quality, mean it’s hard to imagine how things could be meaningfully improved. 

Passengers in the rear benefit from luxurious practical touches like fold-down picnic tables, which are just as useful for laptops as they are for cheese and pickle sandwiches. You’ll also find individual climate control knobs, massaging seat options and personal infotainment screens – so it’s hard to imagine getting bored on a journey. If you’re worried, you can always order the on-board Champagne chiller and a pair of crystal glasses.  

In fact, there are several different seating configurations available for the rear of the Phantom. A standard bench, individual chairs with a central console or armrests, and reclining ‘sleep seats’ for serious relaxation on the move.

Size

The latest Phantom is actually a few millimetres shorter than its predecessor at 5,762mm overall. But you can still choose the extended wheelbase Phantom, which is 5,982mm nose-to-tail. With a roofline that’s 1,646mm off the ground, the driving viewpoint is not far off that of a full-size SUV and you’ll definitely look down on drivers of more hum-drum models. 

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Leg room, head room & passenger space

As you would expect from the Rolls-Royce flagship, there’s a fantastic amount of space for front and rear occupants, even in the standard wheelbase Phantom. With an extra 220m of rear legroom, the extended wheelbase version offers room for a party.

Boot

The long-nose, and set-back cabin of the previous Phantom meant the car came in for a bit of criticism over its relatively small boot. The new version retains the iconic proportions, but engineers have made room for more of your luggage. Boot volume is up from 460 to 548 litres, which is said to be enough for four full-size golf bags.