Rolls-Royce Phantom

Much of the detail gone into the Rolls-Royce Phantom’s cabin focuses on the incredible materials used. They are of world-class craftsmanship.

Cabin Layout and Quality

The dashboard has an upright, layered design covered in soft-touch leather, real wood, and cool metal. The upper section contains 'The Gallery', a glass-enclosed space where owners can show off custom artwork. Every other button, knob, and air vent, meanwhile, feels substantial and perfectly damped.

Jaiveer observes regarding the custom interiors,

“The Phantom Goldfinger puts Navy leather and Royal Walnut veneer together; another combination borrowed from the James Bond movie's car.”

The layout also features a central infotainment screen that can be hidden behind a wood panel. Physical buttons are still available for climate control and basic functions, which helps usability.

Seating Comfort

Front Row

The Phantom offers heavily cushioned, electrically adjustable front seats with memory functions. The driving position is commanding, yet extremely comfortable. You get a clear view over the long bonnet. Seat cushioning finds a plush, supportive balance. Heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats make long journeys painless. The front armrests are also heated, adding a cosy touch during cold mornings.

Second Row

The rear seat experience is the main reason people buy this car. The space is vast, especially in the Extended Wheelbase variant. The rear seats offer incredible support and can recline heavily. Passengers get thick lambswool floor mats that feel incredibly soft underfoot.

Headroom and legroom are abundant. The C-pillars are thick, ensuring passengers can sit back, hidden from the outside world. The ride is so smooth that reading or working on a laptop is completely effortless.

Features That Improve Daily Use

• A fully digital, yet classic-looking driver’s display
• A central screen with Apple CarPlay
• Rear-seat entertainment screens that fold out electronically
• Power-closing rear doors operated via a button
• A cooled refrigerator box between the rear seats
• The famous Starlight Headliner creates a glowing night sky effect

The Rolls-Royce Phantom is available in two main configurations: the standard wheelbase and the Extended Wheelbase (EWB). Since every Phantom is heavily customised by its buyer, the final price often increases significantly over the base sticker.

Ex-Showroom Prices (India)

Note: Prices are ex-showroom, and they change heavily based on custom configuration. In this high-end price bracket, the Phantom is mostly competing with private jets and yachts. On paper, cars like the Maybach S-Class offer similar technology for much less money.

Fuel efficiency is rarely a concern for anyone purchasing a V12 Rolls-Royce. Its appeal is absolute silence and buttery power delivery, not saving money at the pumps. That said, the 6.75-litre petrol engine consumes fuel rapidly.

Observed Fuel Efficiency During Testing

In typical city driving, the heavy saloon returns around 4 to 5 kmpl. The eight-speed gearbox is tuned to keep revs low, but moving nearly three tonnes of metal requires a lot of energy. On highways, steady cruising between 80 and 100 kmph gives slightly better numbers, occasionally touching 8 kmpl.

The Phantom has a strong safety package that protects its occupants from severe impacts while actively avoiding accidents at the same time.

Passive Safety and Crash Protection

The saloon features a robust, all-aluminium spaceframe architecture that provides immense rigidity. It comes standard with multiple airbags, including side and curtain airbags for both rows. The doors are heavy and shut with a reassuring clunk. The overall seating position and solid structure give passengers a strong sense of security.

Due to its high cost and low production volume, the Phantom has not been crash-tested by agencies like Euro NCAP or Bharat NCAP. However, it shares some of its electronic architecture with BMW models, so expect high engineering standards. Meanwhile, ISOFIX child seat mounts and tyre pressure monitoring are standard.

Active Safety and Stability Systems

The Phantom gets a suite of modern safety aids. Electronic Stability Control, traction control, and anti-lock brakes are standard. The car also uses a clever stereo camera system to scan the road ahead and adjust the air suspension proactively to handle bumps.

It has other modern driver aids like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and a night vision camera as well. The 360-degree camera system is particularly helpful given the car's massive dimensions, although it requires some practice to rely on it in tight spots.

Safety Verdict

While the Phantom does not shout about its safety technology, it discreetly packs all the necessary active and passive systems. It keeps its occupants safe without constantly beeping or disturbing the calm driving experience.

The technology inside this grand saloon is deliberately discreet. It does not force glowing screens in your face. Instead, the cabin hides modern systems behind thick wood and rich leather, and you get all the features you need without the digital clutter.

Infotainment and Interface

• The central display folds away behind a glass panel when not in use.
• This clear glass space is known as the Gallery, which owners can fill with custom artwork.
• It supports wireless Apple CarPlay, but the interface relies on a rotary dial rather than touch controls to keep fingerprints away.
• The dials behind the steering wheel are fully digital but mimic classic analogue gauges perfectly.
• A high-end audio system delivers clear, heavy sound without distortion at high volumes.

Cabin Convenience and Practical Features

• The heavy doors close automatically at the push of a small button.
• Thick lambswool floor mats swallow your feet.
• Rear passengers get folding picnic tables and hidden screens.
• A refrigerated compartment sits between the rear seats to cool drinks.

Jaiveer notes regarding some custom touches,

“The Starlight headliner features 1,500 fibre optic lighting elements that light up in a unique pattern to provide occupants with a sense of motion.”

You get a 460 to 548-litre boot in this sedan, depending on the model year. The finish inside the boot matches the main cabin closely, with thick carpets covering every corner. It easily fits large suitcases for a long airport run. The loading lip is slightly high, but the space itself is highly usable, and because of the sheer size of the car, the boot extends far back. You can load a set of golf clubs without having to fold anything. Meanwhile, the power tailgate operates silently, matching the rest of the car's quiet nature.

Driving the Phantom feels different from any other car on the market. The focus is strictly on complete isolation, and its chassis absorbs bad roads without letting any shock reach the seats. It utilises the proprietary ‘Flagbearer’ system to scan the road ahead and adjust the air suspension before you hit a bump.

City Driving

It is a giant car, so its sheer size makes tight streets difficult to manage. However, rear-wheel steering helps turn this heavy machine in tighter spaces. The steering wheel is light to hold. You guide it rather than muscle it.

Jaiveer mentions,

“Mechanically, the Phantom remains unchanged with the familiar 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 sitting under the bonnet.”

Highway Driving

On wide roads, it just cruises. Wind noise does not exist. The company uses 130 kg of sound-deadening material to ensure a quiet place, and overtaking is also effortless because of the massive torque on standby. Overall, the car remains steady and planted at 120 kmph. You sit tall, looking over the long bonnet and the Spirit of Ecstasy ornament.

The standard lineup is relatively simple. You have two main wheelbase options. However, the true variety comes from custom orders since most buyers build their cars from scratch to their exact tastes.

The Essentials That You Don’t Get

Even at this high price, the Phantom avoids some elements: 

• No other sport modes
• No paddle shifters behind the wheel
• Louder exhaust notes and more aggressive variants

Choosing a Phantom depends largely on where you plan to sit, as the available options cater strictly to the buyer's exact needs and daily use.

Best for Personal Driving: Phantom Standard Wheelbase

If you actually want to drive your car on weekends, the standard wheelbase is the one to pick. It is slightly easier to handle in traffic. The proportions are also slightly more manageable for an owner-driver setup.

Best for Chauffeur-Driven Comfort: Phantom Extended

This variant is the ultimate rear-seat choice since the stretched wheelbase adds massive legroom in the back. If your daily routine involves working or resting on the move, this gives you the best space.

Best for Collectors: Custom Editions

If you want something rare, special editions are the way to go. These versions hold a unique history and craft.