Lamborghini is reported to be readying an SUV model to take advantage of the Chinese appetite for ultra luxury cars. The Sant’Agata Bolognese-based company, famous for its low-slung dramatic supercars, will bring an SUV study to the Beijing Auto Show in April, sources revealed. This SUV plan comes nearly 20 years after Lambo discontinued the LM002 military vehicle, pictured above.
Lamborghini is not alone in trying to woo wealthy Chinese with an unconventional model. Maserati has its Kubang, and Bentley, the British brand known for its large limos, is bringing an SUV concept to Geneva. The Bentley SUV could make it to showrooms by 2015 if owner Volkswagen Group approves the project. Meanwhile, the Lambo SUV could make it to production by 2016, the source added.
“Chinese customers love their big cars. All the brands are making cars more specific for the Chinese market,” said Christian Mastro, Lamborghini’s GM for Asia Pacific. “Luxury cars are at the top of the consumption desires of rich Chinese,” said Giuliano Noci, vice-director for the China campus of Milan Polytechnic. Since wealthy Chinese consumers have a limited history with the European brands, “the luxury-car makers can dare something new.”
IHS Automotive says that deliveries of luxury SUVs are forecast to jump 49% in China to 265,200 in 2015, almost three times the 18% growth in global demand for the segment.
Of course, this strategy is nothing new, and the companies listed above must have looked at Porsche with envy. The maker of the iconic 911 made jaws drop when it debuted the Cayenne in 2002. Despite the SUV’s less than pretty looks, Porsche now relies on it for half its deliveries, and the waiting list is about a year in China. A smaller brother called Macan is also on the way.
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I have seen a LM002 in France before, it was really nice especially the interior
OMG!!! what is this, so ugly
A military vehicle delivered to Saudi Arabia. Have you ever seen i.e. a nice tank?
Notice the gap between the driver’s seat and the passenger? It’s like you could put another 2 seats in the middle. And the tyres O___0….
The featured picture is that of the old discontinued Lamborghini LM002 designed in the early 80s.
Guess some don’t even bother to read the article before making quick comments
bcoz they are just to dumb to read the article
juz stick to supercars liao..
They’ve never stuck strictly to supercars anyway. Other than the LM002 ‘SUV’ (term wasn’t invented yet then) Lambo V12s also powered class 1 racing powerboats quite successfully. They also powered some F1 cars. Oh and the whole heritage started with tractors anyway.
Don’t see why they must constrain themselves to supercars only
lambo is a tractor brand… so SUV is nothing. and they used to produce small numbers of suv…. found 1 in japan recently
Ya, Lambo started with Tractors. So it’s back to their core if they produce trucks…
A lot of typing errors…
Monday blues, methinks! Thanks for the spot, keyboard! :D
this is a great suv cos it could really go through tough terrains….please lamborghini don’t make a posuer SUV like the Cayenne which is one of the most useless SUV i ever seen
Even how much the useless the cayenne is, still it one of most successful model for porsche. So it is really matter? Move to lambo, lambo ceo do before said that they will never make an suv because it will not fit their car range and isn’t fit their tagline ‘ exclusive’ and for lambo, suv is not a luxury car. hahah, suddenly suv do make sense, poor lambo!
They already have a SUV, the R8.?
http://www.lamborghini-tractors.com/ebusiness/322.jpg
Ya, and they also makes coffee machine
IT LOOKS SO…. CHINESE… FOR CHINESE MARKET MAH
lambo n bentley rolling out SUV….. duh