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Never say never – at least at Rolls-Royce. In just months the luxury brand has backflipped on the statement they’d never build an SUV, announcing the reversal at Frankfurt motor show.
"We are intensively thinking about entering the SUV segment," Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said at the event. The competition for the best concept design will heat up at the company, now in a catch-up race with rival Bentley who has already pre-empted this move, leading the charge with the ultra-luxurious EXP 9 F concept.
Production of the high-riding Bentley will begin in 2016, at least a full year before Rolls-Royce can respond in the showroom. Even so, Rolls-Royce and its parental conglomerate in Bavaria will likely use this opportunity to develop a large SUV platform that will give buyers an alternative to the Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class. Just another sweetener for venturing into what has become a lucrative market segment.
While every Rolls-Royce is hand-built in their UK Goodwood factory, the British brand has access to BMW's extensive parts bin, so that could help fast-track a future concept into reality. However, with the cheapest Roller starting at about $600,000 here, expect the SUV to be similarly priced if it hits our shores.
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