Bentley Promises SUV will be World’s Most Expensive at Over £130,000 ($220,000)

The head of Bentley Motors, Wolfgang Dürheimer, has confirmed that the brand’s upcoming SUV will cost more than £130,000 ($221,500; €162,000) in the UK when it goes on sale in 2016.

Speaking to UK magazine Autocar, Dürheimer was forthcoming in Bentley’s reasoning. “All of the current luxury SUVs, the BMW X5s, the AMG-powered Mercedes, the Range Rovers, they all end at around €160,000 ($218,000; £128,000). We aim to solve this problem.”

This explanation is fascinating (to we plebeians, at least). Apparently, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, Range Rover Autobiography Long Wheelbase, and Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG are simply too cheap.

The UK publication points out that an MSRP of £200,000 ($340,000; €250,000) was considered, but it was too close to the flagship Mulsanne’s £228,200 ($285,000 in the U.S.; €285,000) price tag. The SUV’s price point overlaps with that of Bentley’s high-selling Continental family.

This suggests that while the brand wants luxury shoppers to perceive its model as more exclusive and prestigious than its mass-market rivals, it is still keen to rack up as many sales as possible (relative to the superluxury segment).

Rolls-Royce’s expected rival to the unnamed Bentley SUV is believed to cost £200,000 ($340,000; €250,000) if and when it debuts later this decade. That would swiftly usurp Bentley’s crown of offering the world’s most expensive SUV.

By Nico Grant

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