news

Bugatti mulling electric SUV – report

Not even legendary Bugatti is immune to the spread of SUVs. Automobile reports the Chiron and Divo may be getting a new companion in the form of an electric crossover. Surprised?


This rumoured all-electric crossover allows Bugatti to join the ranks of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lamborghini in the ultra-luxury crossover market.

Lest you think the Bugatti crossover will share its platform with the other high-end SUVs in the Volkswagen Group stable, reports suggest Bugatti will instead source Croatian automaker Rimac’s 1379kW C002 rolling chassis and batteries.

Bugatti may also enlist German R&D firm EDAG to help develop it and Austrian manufacturer Magna Steyr to produce it, though reports also suggest the crossover could be produced at the mothballed Campogalliano factory in Italy.

Interestingly, Automobile adds the crossover would have only three doors. Bugatti is pursuing considerably more volume for this new line. Although the brand intends to produce a total of just 500 Chirons, it would aim to sell around 600 of its crossover each year.

Compared to the Chiron, this would be somewhat of a 'bargain' Bugatti – prices would start around $US850,000 ($1.253 million), or roughly a third of what the Chiron retails for.

Bugatti president, Stephan Winkelmann, has previously denied there would be a Bugatti crossover. Nevertheless, Bugatti needs to shore up its future as VW Group chief executive Herbert Diess has pledged to slash the multinational’s costs.

The boutique Bugatti brand infamously lost millions of dollars with each Veyron it sold. It’s not the first time Bugatti has planned a companion to its hypercar line-up, either. The company unveiled a five-door hatchback concept, the 16C Galibier (pictured), in 2009.

Plans for the Galibier were cancelled in 2013, though VW Group executives spoke as late as 2016 about dusting it off and putting it into production.

Much as Lamborghini abandoned its Estoque sedan concept for the Urus crossover, Bugatti is clearly following the market’s insatiable thirst for SUVs.

Chat with us!







Chat with Agent