BMW-owned Rolls-Royce is developing a "high-bodied" vehicle that is capable of driving across "any terrain," but the company is choosing to call the vehicle simply a car instead of a sports utility vehicle or SUV.
The manufacturer of super luxury sedans said that the new vehicle will be able to live up to the adventurous spirit of the two founders of the company, Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce.
"I am proud to confirm that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is developing an all-new, high-bodied Rolls-Royce designed to satisfy the contemporary, highly mobile lifestyles of our discerning clients around the world," Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said.
"The model looks to channel the early luxury cars of Rolls-Royce, which conveyed pioneers and adventurers like Lawrence of Arabia across the vastness of unexplored deserts and over mountain ranges," wrote Oetvoes in an open letter.
The new vehicle, which has not yet been named, is currently in the early developmental stages. It will be only the fourth model that the company has ever released, joining the Phantom luxury sedan, convertible and coupe, the Ghost sedan and the Wraith coupe.
Similar to all the other vehicles in the lineup of Rolls-Royce, the new car will feature a V-12 engine. However, unlike the others, the new Rolls-Royce vehicle will be using an all-new, aluminum platform.
While technical details for the new vehicle have not yet been finalized and released, it is likely that the car will include all-wheel drive functionality.
The new Rolls-Royce model will be going up against the Bentayga SUV that rival luxury vehicle maker Bentley is expected to unveil at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The Bentayga is expected to be out in the market by next year.
According to Bentley, the Bentayga will be the most powerful SUV in the world.
Another rival company, British car manufacturer Jaguar, also recently unveiled plans to launch an off-road vehicle next year.
The new model being developed by Rolls-Royce comes at a time of success for the company. Last year, global sales for Rolls-Royce vehicles improved by 12 percent and were over 4,000 units for the first time in the history of the company. Since 2009, global sales figures have more than quadrupled.
The biggest market for Rolls-Royce remains to be the United States, with the Middle East and China also among the most significant markets for the company.
The price for the new Rolls-Royce model has not yet been announced, but it is likely that it will start at between $300,000 and $400,000.
