He also expects sport-utility vehicle production will be at least as high but could be higher depending on demand.
Advertisement
Stephano Domenicali, who assumed command of the Italian maker of exotic sports cars earlier this year, told Reuters in NY that the new model will roughly double output to 7,000 Lamborghini vehicles annually, implying annual production of 3,500 SUVs.
Lamborghini plans to introduce a new SUV in 2018 with a goal to sell 3.5K units.
“We will push like hell to” sell 3,500 or more amount of the SUVs, Domenicali stated in an interview, including interest in it is high in the United States and elsewhere.
“It’s a big game-changer”, he said.
Domenicali, a former Ferrari Formula One team boss, joined Lamborghini as CEO in February, replacing long-time chief Stephan Winkelmann.
Lamborghini is planning to increase its global dealer network to 160 outlets from the current 132. More than 1,000 of the 3,245 vehicles sold by Lamborghini in 2015 went to United States buyers.
The forthcoming SUV will be produced at Lamborghini’s plant in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, where the company is hiring an additional 500 workers.
Lamborghini is joining several luxury carmakers that have entered the profitable SUV market, including VW’s Porsche and Bentley units.
A plug-in hybrid version of the SUV is expected to join the line-up by 2020, and could be followed by a full electric vehicle.
Advertisement
Volkswagen AG’s (VLKAY) luxury brands have performed well and provided much needed profit at a moment when the company’s mass market brand is under fire from dealers, regulators and shareholders. He revealed that the new Lamborghini SUV could be a platform for future self-driving vehicles. “In life, technology has to be part of the emotion”, he added.
