Bentley aims to solve this “problem” with its upcoming SUV, which will cost at least 130,000 pounds, or around $220,000 at current exchange rates, brand boss Wolfgang Durheimer told Autocar at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Durheimer noted that current luxury SUVs like the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GL63 AMG, and Range Rover, max out at around $218,000. Apparently, that’s not good enough.
“We aim to solve this problem,” he said.
Whether customers view this as a problem or not, it will certainly be helpful for Bentley’s product planners.
The elevated price will place the SUV above the more mainstream British and German models, the same position held by the rest of Bentley’s current lineup. However, the SUV won’t eclipse the Mulsanne sedan in price, as Bentley still considers that model its flagship.
If it’s trimmed out like the Mulsanne, Continental, and Flying Spur, the SUV should justify its price. It will also be exclusive, with a planned production run of just 3,000 examples per year.
It will also likely share its styling and power trains with the other Bentley models. It will also be among the first hybrid Bentleys, with a plug-in powertrain previewed by the Hybrid Concept from the 2014 Beijing Motor Show.
However, we won’t the chance to find out if this SUV is a Bentley in price only for awhile. It doesn’t go on sale until 2017.
