Since Bentley will bring an SUV to market in 2016, Rolls-Royce can’t ignore this category for much longer. As a matter of fact, the BMW-owned luxury brand is already mulling an entry into the segment, especially since SUVs and crossovers are expected to make up half the world car market in the future.
“There are long-term independent studies that say half the world car market – 50 per cent of everything – will be crossovers and SUVs. So it’s our responsibility to look into it. We are seriously analyzing a Rolls-Royce in the SUV area,” Peter Schwarzenbauer, the BMW board member in charge of Rolls-Royce, told Top Gear.
However, the executive said Rolls-Royce has not made a decision yet about building a crossover.
“We have to know it would still be a true Rolls-Royce. If we’re not convinced it is, then I will not ask the board for permission to go forward with it. So the question is, does it fit to the Rolls-Royce brand? They had the same discussions at BMW before they made the first X5. No doubt at Porsche before the Cayenne too,” Schwarzenbauer explained.
Considering that both Porsche and BMW went along with building SUVs, it should be a formality for Rolls-Royce as well, especially since Bentley will soon produce a crossover. The executive also hinted about future powertrains for Rolls-Royce, saying there are more chances to see a plug-in hybrid Rolls-Royce in the future than a fully electric vehicle.
By Dan Mihalascu
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