Confirming plans to foray into the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment, luxury car maker Bentley said on Tuesday it will launch the first such model in 2016.
The company, which is a part of German auto giant Volkswagen group, said the SUV will be made in Crewe, which is home to all its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production, creating an estimated 1,000 jobs in the UK.
“Over the next three years, Bentley will invest more than 800 million pounds in its headquarters at Crewe and the development of new models,” the company said in a statement.
Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Volkswagen Group said, “Bentley fans all around the world are looking forward to the brand's first SUV. Together we will make this new Bentley another true Bentley – powerful, exclusive and successful."
Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive Wolfgang Schreiber said, “Bentley is increasingly successful and this new fourth model line will leverage the success of the global SUV market. The support of everyone involved with the company has been fundamental to this decision, which will ensure sustainable growth for the company.”
The Bentley SUV will be the company's fourth model line. Globally, the company currently sells three car models -- Flying Spur, Continental GT and Mulsanne. In India, the company sells GT V8 model at Rs 2.70 crore while Mulsanne is retailed at Rs 5.15 crore (ex showroom Delhi).
The company said, “It will be the most luxurious and most powerful SUV in the market. The response from customers to a Bentley SUV has been extremely positive in the last 16 months.”
