Known to be the epitome of opulence on wheels, Rolls-Royce, which has always been focused on luxury saloon and coupes, seems to be working on an SUV that is likely to go on sale by 2017. In its early development stages, the British luxury car maker currently seems to be considering the possibility. If this SUV comes through it will indeed be a very smart move from Rolls-Royce considering the fact that SUVs are much loved not just in India but even globally.
The new SUV will most likely originate from the Ghost family and not the Phantom. In fact the closest sibling of the Rolls-Royce will be the upcoming BMW X7 which shares its platform with the next-gen X5 and X6. Needless to say, like the current Rolls-Royce models, this one too will make use of aluminium and BMW’s expertise in the carbon fibre in order to make it lighter. One can also expect innumerable customisation options for the interiors like what we currently see on the Ghost and the Phantom.
Underneath the hood, the SUV could be powered by one of the few twin-turbo engines that BMW already has in its inventory including BMW’s 4.4-litre V8 that works force in the M5 and M6 Grand Coupe, the 6.0-litre V12 or the Rolls-Royce Ghost’s 6.6-litre V12. With the Vogue, Range Rover is now moving up the ranks in the luxury SUV segment and with arch rival Bentley too announcing its intentions of making a break in the segment, the timing of Rolls-Royce couldn’t have been better.