Bentley announces the most expensive SUV ever
Iconic British carmaker Bentley, preferred by the Queen of England, is all set to enter the SUV division with its new product which is slated to be released by the end of this year. Touted to be the world’s most expensive sports utility vehicle in production, Bentley claims to have potential customers already queuing up for its introduction into the market. Company heads are boasting of this car’s magnificent abilities of providing the most luxurious of environment inside the cabin which will cocoon its passengers even while off-roading.
Wolfgang Duerheimer, head of the Crewe, Britain based unit of Volkswagen AG, said Bentley plans to sell around 3,000 units from its high end category annually once the model is out in the showrooms early next year. Company spokesperson said around 4,000 potential buyers have already shown keen interest in this soon to be released model without having seen the vehicle. “The Bentley SUV will be the most exclusive, most luxurious and most expensive SUV in the world. The level of luxury will be extraordinary”, said Duerheimer in London, putting on display a video of this beast driving through the sand dunes.
This upcoming model from Bentley’s stable will be their trump card and is crucial for Volkswagen’s goal to push sales figures of this English brand. VW has its eyes set on the target of scaling 15,000 units under Bentley’s name by the year 2018. It is a conscious effort to expand Bentley’s range beyond sedans and coupes viz., the Continental GT, the Flying Spur and Mulsanne.
This marquee brand’s worldwide numbers rose by 9 per cent to a record 11,020 cars in the year gone by. US still remains the major contributor to total sales with a whopping 29 per cent said Duerheimer, closely followed by China with 24 per cent, where more than 1 in every 3 luxury vehicles sold last year was a Bentley. China will be one of its vital markets since the total sales rose 22 per cent to 2,160 units when compared to last year.
Although it will turn out to be the most expensive SUV in the market, it will fall short on the pricing meter when compared to other models of Bentley at its base price. But when it’s Bentley, the range of optional extras can never be ignored which can certainly boost its cost pushing it above the carmaker’s other premium models burning a bigger hole in the pocket. As far as its pricing figures are concerned, the car is expected to cost around $214,000. A 3 year investment plan of approximately $1.22billion had been announced in 2013 keeping this model and their future endeavors in mind.
This new vehicle will be pitted against the likes of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, GL63 AMG from the three-pointed star and the top end models of Range Rover from the Jaguar Land Rover unit under the Tata Motors Ltd. banner. Rolls Royce is all set to make an announcement regarding whether or not it plans to join the fray with its own SUV model and follow suit. European heavyweight VW plans to put its foot down and take some giant strides in making a broader push to further its premium cars segment with brands like Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini. The aforementioned vehicle is based on a prototype which was put on display during the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
Although it does seem to have taken design cues from the concept car, the presented model boasted of features such as picnic hampers for polo-ground tailgating, gaping turbine-like air intakes to go with 23 inch alloy wheels. The company is still contemplating whether or not to increase its lineup and a final call will be taken once the SUV goes on sale next year, said Duerheimer. What is distinctly clear is the fact that Bentley buoyed by Volkswagen’s thrust has quite a few tricks up its sleeve and is well and truly on its way to increase its repertoire with the addition of this model and looks set to broaden its horizon.
picture credits- torquenews.com
