Bentley to Build New Luxury Crossover in U.K.

Volkswagen AG's Bentley Motors Group is preparing its car factory in Crewe, England, to begin making ultra-luxury crossover vehicles three years from now.

The crossover vehicle program is part a three-year, 800 million (€931 million) investment in new models and the unit's headquarters in Crewe. The plant there, which has been hand-building Bentley cars for 67 years, plans to increase its workforce by 400 people to a total of 4,400 to help make the new model.

VW picked the British facility over a factory in Bratislava, Slovakia, that produces Audi, Porsche and VW crossovers. The company said previously that the choice would be between Crewe's craftsmanship and Bratislava's economies of scale.

The long-rumored model is expected to sell for at least 150,000 (€174,600). Bentley has said the new model will not resemble the poorly received EXP 9 F concept it unveiled last year at the Geneva auto show.

The unit predicts the unnamed vehicle will become the market's most luxurious and powerful of its kind. Bentley reportedly is considering a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine for the vehicle and is expected to offer diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrain options.

The brand delivers about 9,000 cars per year worldwide. Bentley predicts the new model will boost annual volume by about 3,000 units, thus helping it reach its sales goal of 15,000 vehicles per year by 2018.