Bentley Mulls Building SUVs in Slovakia

Volkswagen AG's Bentley Motor Group tells reporters it will decide "very soon" whether to launch production of the brand's first SUV at its headquarters in Crewe, England, or in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The ultra-luxury crossover is expected to go into production in about 2015 with targeted annual output of 3,000-4,000 units. Last year the company estimated the new model would sell for at least €180,000.

Wolfgang Schreiber, who took over as Bentley's CEO last summer, says the company's options for production location pit Crewe's craftsmanship skills against Bratislava's economies of scale.

The Slovakian site is a VW plant that already makes the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg crossovers. They share the platform that will carry the Bentley model.

Schreiber says the look of the new Bentley will be "completely different" from the EXP 9 F concept the company unveiled at the Geneva auto show last year. That vehicle's design was widely panned by critics.