When Bentley already confirming that its SUV will be introduced in 2016, Rolls Royce isn’t wasting time and is reportedly working on a rival expected to go on sale in late 2017. The man designing the first ever Rolls Royce SUV says it will be a ‘proper SUV’ instead of following the recent coupe-inspired crossover trend. Giles Taylor, Design Boss said: “The Rolls Royce SUV is in its early development stage and his team is still sketching to assess the viability of the concept. We are not yet grappling with three dimensions and proportions.”
“I’m looking to create a properly functional vehicle – a shooting brake, not a crossover with a sloping roof. A proper SUV, Taylor added.” The British luxury automaker is yet to confirm its plans to build a Sports Utility Vehicle, though Torsten Mueller Oetvoes, CEO gave strong hints last year when he said it was intensively thinking about entering the SUV class. According to the sources, the SUV will be available for the price of €244,972 (£200,000) and would likely form part of the future Ghost family instead of being derived from the Phantom. That’s in spite of initial rumors that said the future RR SUV would be based on the forthcoming BMW X7.
Nevertheless, the Bavarian automaker is said to be preparing a much more advanced platform for the future Ghost and a possible 9 Series family, previewed by BMW Vision Future Luxury Concept. The SUV fits the shift of Rolls Royce’s customer base, with markets such as China becoming ever more important for the British brand. Sports Utility Vehicles are expected to quickly catch on in China following a timid reception over the past few years.
