Interior
Ratings: 3.5/5
The Rapide is not a small car, but the
logistics of arranging a V12 engine low under the bonnet, with a cabin behind
it and an aluminum structure that needs to be stiff because the bodywork on top
is disinclined to help with the torsional rigidity, mean that something’s got
to give. And in this case, it’s interior volume.
Aston
Martin Rapide S’s interior
There’s nothing wrong with the space up
front, mind. The seat is lower and the sill wider than is typical on luxury
cars, but we’ll forgive that.
Likewise, the transmission tunnel is tall
and the window line high. No, our complaints about the Aston’s front cabin are
the same as usual: patchy ergonomics on the center console and a set of dials
that, while attractive, are similarly unfriendly to the senses.
Still, the leather is beautifully stitched
and presented and the piano black perfectly shiny and deftly fitted.
It’s in the rear where the Aston is most
compromised. The two seats - that transmission tunnel and a totally separate
ventilation system for rear passengers preclude the possibility of three - are
small in the base and sited low, although they’re comfortable for kids or
smallish adults. A 6ft-tall passenger behind a similar-sized driver is a struggle,
though. You’d cope on the way back from a meeting a short hop away, but if
you’re looking for the accommodation of a Mercedes-Benz S-class, or even a
Porsche Panamera, you can forget it.
The boot is small if you look at the raw
numbers (317-886 liters), and its opening is fairly narrow. But because the
rear seats fold, the Rapide is a surprisingly useful load carrier.
Six-speed automatic’s gear selector is
spread across the dash. Still not totally convenient, but you get used to it.
Six-speed
automatic’s gear selector is spread across the dash.
Rear-passenger ‘Jesus handles’ are located
on B-pillars and beautifully put together, with magnetic ends to locate them to
the doors. Leather on the door pillar inevitably gains a patina as a result of
the attachment.
Leather
on the door pillar inevitably gains a patina as a result of the attachment.
A mass of buttons around a toggle is
Aston’s way of controlling all major systems. Once again, we’ve got used to it,
but most rivals do it better.
A
mass of buttons around a toggle is Aston’s way of controlling all major
systems.
The Rapide’s driving position is of the
classic recumbent type, with legs outstretched. Plenty of elbow support makes
it particularly comfy.
Plenty
of elbow support makes it particularly comfy.
Rear passenger legroom is still more
limited than it should be in a luxury saloon. Headroom is better, but the hip
point is low.
Headroom
is better, but the hip point is low.
The boot is quite shallow, but it can
swallow plenty if you fold the rear seatbacks flat. It's an unusual car for a
run to the council tip, though.
It's
an unusual car for a run to the council tip, though.
Navigation
Aston uses a Garmin navigation system
which, these days, is pleasingly integrated into the top screen. It also
doubles as the reversing camera - an essential in a car this long with such a
small rear window. The nav system is a good unit, but the control button isn’t
the world’s most straightforward. There’s no quick-look prompt on the dial
panel, for example.
Navigation
Connectivity
The Aston will pair with a phone or music
player easily, once you’ve deciphered the buttons and the limitations of the
small center screen.
Audio
The Aston has a pretty serious sound
system: a Bang & Olufsen set-up that does indeed provide excellent audio
quality. Our test car came with optional rear screens in the front head
restraints, too, with a six-DVD changer. Shame, though, that the controls are
fiddly and that there’s no DAB. The radio reception, meanwhile, is nothing to
write home about, so bringing your own tunes on an external device is
preferable.
