Rolls-Royce has all but settled on the styling of its first "utility" or "high-sided” vehicle, which is planned to be on sale in a little over three years.
But what to call the thing? An SUV, crossover, superluxury activity vehicle?
"We haven't decided yet, but we're thinking 'all-terrain vehicle,'" said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos.
A Rolls ATV? Really?
Not as strange as it sounds, said Muller-Otvos.
"All-terrain is very much part of the history of Rolls-Royce. You might remember Lawrence of Arabia driving in the desert. Many, many Rolls-Royces in former times were specifically built for heavy-duty purposes, for tiger hunts in the jungle, all that stuff. Silver Ghosts were often highly modified for that purpose."
Meanwhile, it seems the design of the Rolls ATV is pretty well done.
"We are close to finishing it by the end of this year," said Muller-Otvos. "We will probably bring the car into the market around the end of '18."
The CEO said the vehicle has been scrutinized by a few Rolls buyers in the U.S.
"We've shown it to a couple of customers." he said.
What did Rolls learned from the viewings? Muller-Otvos said the vehicle has to be "spacious."
You can reach Richard Johnson at rjohnson@crain.com.
