Coach doors

A bold and distinctive feature of the Phantom are the rear-hinged coach doors. While they undoubtedly offer an added sense of occasion when entering and exiting the car, the coach doors also perform an important safety function. Side-impact protection is much-improved, both as a result of rear passengers sitting inside the fixed body structure of the car, and thanks to a significant intrusion reduction over a standard rear door configuration.
The door aperture is tall, which when combined with the Phantom's flat floor and lack of door sills means it is easier to enter and exit the car. Another benefit is a sense of security for passengers, for when both the front and rear doors are open, they create a protective shield from passing traffic.
The unconventional nature of the coach doors posed our engineers some serious legislative challenges. These were overcome with the use of sophisticated electronically controlled door latches, which work in conjunction with a series of sensors to ensure that the coach door cannot be opened while the car is in motion.
We have also incorporated a closing assistance system for the rear doors, which can pull the door shut from any opening angle, allowing rear passengers to close the door from within the passenger cabin at the touch of a button. There is also a soft-close mechanism that pulls all the doors closed through the final 6mm of travel, minimising effort and noise.