VW approves plan for Bentley 4x4

Published Jul 24, 2013

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Volkswagen (VW), Europe’s largest vehicle maker, has given its ultra-luxury Bentley brand approval to build a sports utility vehicle to expand beyond exclusive sedans and coupés to appeal to wealthy consumers in emerging markets.

The new model for the British marque would go on sale in 2016, creating more than 1 000 jobs in the UK, the VW unit said yesterday.

Bentley plans to spend more than £800 million (R12 billion) on developing the sports utility vehicle and other models, as well as upgrading its headquarters in Crewe, England.

“It’s certainly a courageous step to see if other types of vehicles can establish themselves in the super-luxury segment,” said Stefan Bratzel, the director of the Centre of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.

The vehicle will be the world’s most expensive sports utility vehicle with a starting cost of an estimated e180 000 (R2.3m). – Bloomberg

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