Bentley to Build the Most Expensive SUV in the World

The ultra-luxurious Bentley would now be given a new form as Volkswagen Germany has given the green signal to the unit to come out with the first sport-utility variant of the model.  Coming out of their usual sleek cars, Volkswagen is out to produce a car that could somewhat startle car purists.

The new Bentley model is touted to be the most costly SUV in the world and will be available for sale in 2016, according to a statement made by Volkswagen.  Apart from setting the record of being the most expensive car in the world, the new Bentley would also do a great deal more as this ambitious project would lead to the creation of over a thousand jobs in the United Kingdom, which is the second largest market for automobiles in Europe.  The project would require $1.23 billion of an investment that would be spaced out over the course of three years.

 Bentley, England, is trying to target and replicate the success story of Porsche as it came out with a successful variant- the Cayenne SUV- that it had launched more than ten years back.  This model apparently accounts for 50 of the global sales of Porsche and Bentley hopes to do the same for its SUV.  Another reason behind the new project is the fact that this off-roader will pump some money into Bentley with more profits. “SUVs continue to be in high demand and Porsche has shown that plush sport-utility vehicles have great potential,” stated Tim Schuldt, Frankfurt-based Equinet AG analyst.

However, there seems to be more competition in the offing for VW as Lamborghini in collaboration with Audi is all set to launch the Urus SUV a year after in 2017; Maserati is to launch Kubang and Land Rover would be coming out with its Range Rover Sport.
However, automobile enthusiasts are skeptical of the fact that Bentley is trying to make a move that would tamper the exclusivity of the brand and its history.  Bentley is a brand that is synonymous for racing pedigree and sleek cars, however with the new SUV; it hopes to achieve annual sales between 3000-4000 SUV priced at $244,000.  Volkswagen Bentley is known for manufacturing some of the luxurious cars that the world has known and the latest in line- “the world’s most expensive SUV” whose concept was launched last summer- is a very looked-forward to automobile by auto-enthusiasts all over the world.

 VW has garnered a lot of positive reviews on this move and hopes to double its sales to 15,000 autos by 2018 after the SUV is launched.  The model is critical to Volkswagen’s goal to almost double Bentley’s sales to 15,000 vehicles by 2018. “Bentley fans all around the world are looking forward to the brand’s first SUV,” stated Martin Winterkorn, VW CEO. “Together we will make this new Bentley another true Bentley – powerful, exclusive and successful.”