Bentley CEO: SUV Imminent, Plug-In Hybrids Coming

Fresh from Porsche, new CEO Dishes on Bentley's Sport Ute

 Last month, Bentley chairman and CEO Wolfgang Durheimer revealed to the German press that a new luxury SUV would be forthcoming.

 

We recently sat down with Durheimer for an interview in which he not only confirmed the upcoming arrival of the Bentley SUV, but revealed a few details, including that the hybrid variant would be of the plug-in variety, and that other cars in the Bentley range would potentially get a plug-in variant.

Why take the legendary British marque into SUV territory in the first place? Many reasons, but primarily to stabilize the brand:

"It's my mission, and also a very big challenge, to move Bentley into a position where the company is sustainable, where we have a volume that the whole work force can rely on, including our dealer body, that it is a constant business that carries everybody ... At present we are pretty much dependent upon the life cycle of the Continental and the Mulsanne. This means we have very attractive products right now because everything is new. In years to come we will probably see a little downswing because the products are out already. To get out of this cycle I have been thinking of different alternatives.

"Two major projects have been analyzed. One is a super sports car project below the Continental. Another one is an SUV.

"I looked at this data and brought in my personal experience from my years at Porsche, and I'm absolutely convinced that for the situation Bentley is in, the SUV project would be a big hit because the SUV segment is still a growing segment worldwide."

Durheimer went on to cite demand in America, as well as China and Europe's growing appetites, as reasons for the Bentley SUV:

"Our Bentley markets are: No. 1 U.S., No. 2 China, No. 3 Europe. The U.S. is a big SUV market, China is a growing SUV market, and Europe has a high demand for SUVs."

"When you look at the SUV competitors, and I know them all very well because we did some studies in my previous position [at Porsche], there is no D-segment SUV on the market yet.

"If you imagine opening the door of an SUV that says hello to you the way we do in a Mulsanne or Continental...big leather, very nice wood sections, lambs' wool floor mats and so on...and then have a body style that is British, that is uniquely Bentley...I think there is room for a D-class, high-performance, super-luxury SUV."

Who would buy such a super-luxury SUV and what might they pay for it? Durheimer believes it's a buyer who wants to stand apart from the crowd -- and has the cash to do so.

"For all of the hundreds of thousands of SUV customers that are around the world and drive all kinds of vehicles, they would have a product to differentiate themselves. In terms of price, it would be positioned above everybody who is there already. I think it's a big chance for Bentley and for this reason, I am promoting this idea."

Though new to Bentley, the SUV will not be an all-new platform, says Durheimer. He also revealed that the business case for the SUV relies on economies of scale leveraged from Bentley's parent company, Volkswagen AG.

"It will not be a completely new platform because in our group, one of the big advantages we have are shelves heavy with components and modules. The challenge is to make the right combination of what's already there, together with what we want to achieve. I'm sure on the engine side we need to have our [Bentley] engines, but on the gearbox and suspension side we have perfect examples in-group that can be used for our purposes with our calibration in the future."

When asked whether the Bentley SUV would utilize the new 6.3-liter W-12 engine that was quietly announced for the 2012 Audi A8L, Durheimer said it wouldn't.

"This engine will not be in Bentleys within the next three years because it doesn't fit. But we will have 12-cylinder engines in the future and it's my target and my objective to position Bentley as the 12-cylinder company amongst car manufactures because 12-cylinder technology for me is very sexy...I am promoting 12-cylinders for Bentley, and I am quite sure that we will find customers that appreciate it."

When asked to reveal further details on the SUV, Durheimer kept his lips mostly sealed.

"It will contain all the necessary items a Bentley has. This means very powerful engine, of course, and very good on-road capabilities. It will be drivable under serious off-road conditions so that especially our customers in the Middle East will be happy."

Speaking of the Middle East and other very wealthy locals, we asked Durheimer about the possibility of Mulsanne variants, something his predecessor Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen hinted at last year before his retirement.

"The product cycle plan contains the derivatives of the Mulsanne, but at present there is no project ongoing in R&D. They are still to come; they still need to jump over the hurdles in terms of product decisions, but I could very well imagine a Mulsanne California or Brooklands on the current platform of the Mulsanne. I just walked through the parking lot this morning and looked at the cars and there was a Mulsanne next to a Rolls Royce four-seater Cabriolet and I think, this can be done, yes, and we will find customers for it."

What about a higher performance Mulsanne?

"The Mulsanne being a RWD car is most likely to use modules that are under control of Porsche. By accident I worked for Porsche the last 12 years so I know pretty well what they have on their shelves."

Durheimer did make a surprise announcement at the end of our interview while discussing the rationale behind a hybrid variant -- a decision based on his 12 years at Porsche.

"The U.S. market has the highest share of Cayenne Hybrids, and California was where the movement within Porsche started. Our president of Porsche Cars North America told us we need a hybrid, so we did even though it was a difficult decision at the time. But now the market dictates that the U.S. market goes for hybrids, while in the Middle East we don't need them. So there is a wide distribution of demands but in order to keep our products state-of-the-art, I think it's helpful to have a hybrid. I will skip the first hybrid generation, and immediately go into plug-in hybrids."

One of the world's premier luxury sedan makers has decided to not only throw its hat into the SUV ring, but simultaneously step into the realm of plug-in electric vehicles. Smart move, or the dilution of a storied marque? Let us know in the comments section.