Volkswagen luxury brand Bentley to enter SUV market

Luxury car maker Bentley Motors yesterday received the go ahead from its German parent Volkswagen AG (VW) to spend $1.2 billion (£800 million) in developing a sports-utility vehicle (SUV).

The SUV, which will be made at Bentley's factory in Crewe in northwest England and will go on sale in 2016, will create over 1,000 jobs.

Over the next three years Bentley will invest more than $1.2 million in its headquarters at Crewe to develop new models, the carmaker said in a statement.

Bentley's plan of developing an SUV had been up in the works for the past few months, but VW was debating whether to locate production in Crewe or in its luxury-car plant in Slovakia.

"The Volkswagen Group believes in the UK as a competitive location for industrial production. Bentley fans all around the world are looking forward to the brand's first SUV," said Dr Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the Board of VW Group.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who was present together with Dr Winterkorn for the announcement at Bentley headquarters in Crewe, said, ''This £800 million investment and a thousand new jobs from Bentley is fantastic news for both Crewe and for the UK as a whole. It is another important milestone in strengthening our economy.

''One sector that we know is sprinting ahead in the global race is our booming automotive industry. One vehicle rolls off a production line somewhere in the UK every 20 seconds and we have just launched the Government's Automotive Industrial Strategy to help continue this success for years to come.

The UK Business Secretary Vince Cable said, ''This is a welcome commitment to the UK from a major international car maker. Our automotive industrial strategy proves this government's commitment to working with world-class companies like Bentley to create jobs and promote exports.

''Bentley was the first firm I visited as a government minister and serves as a real example of high value manufacturing. They export more than four out of every five cars they make in the UK to the rest of the world.''

The SUV, which has not been named yet, will likely be based on the EXP 9 F concept SUV that Bentley had unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show.

But jumping into the SUV bandwagon in the UK will pit Bentley directly against Tata Motors-owned Land Rover, which is doing exceedingly well, both in the home market and overseas.

Bentley said that its SUV will be a thoroughbred Bentley true to the brand hallmarks of luxury, performance, quality and craftsmanship.

The styling will set it apart from any other SUV on the road and will be true to the Bentley design DNA. It will be the most luxurious and most powerful SUV in the market.