Bugatti says an SUV would not be based on another VAG model

Bugatti says an SUV would not be based on another VAG model

One-percenters don’t have to be worried, the Bugatti SUV will not be built on a boring Touareg.

The Volkswagen Touareg is the most affordable of all the large SUVs and MLB Evo platforms that Volkswagen Group offers. It’s followed by the Audi Q8, Porsche Cayenne and Bentley Bentayga and then the Lamborghini Urus. VAG could go higher, but keep the same platform. It could introduce a Bugatti SUV that is based on the MLB Evo, but it won’t.

Stephan Winkelmann is the man in charge at Molsheim. He revealed to Car Advice in an interview that an SUV would not ride on any existing VAG platform, even if it was approved. The Bugatti would instead use a specially-designed architecture for high-riding models. It would be produced at home in France and not share the assembly line with other products of the VW Group.

Side note: The Touareg Q8, Cayenne, and Q8 are all manufactured in Bratislava in Slovakia. Bentley builds the Bentayga in Crewe, while Lamborghini’s Sant’Agata Bolognese plant produces the Urus. The company would need to expand its factory if the Bugatti SUV is approved.

Bugatti says an SUV would not be based on another VAG model

Although it’s too soon to know if it will be an SUV or not, Winkelmann mentioned that Bugatti is open to adding a new model to the Chiron. While a hybrid powertrain may be “good for the moment” to comply with stricter emission regulations, it comes with a 250-kilogram weight penalty (551 pounds) in return for an EV range that is only 31 miles (50 km). A lighter car can reduce emissions. Winkelmann believes that Bugatti must lead the VW Group in the development of lightweight materials.

A recent rumor suggests that a zero-emissions model in the form of a Royale sedan could be launched in 2023. However, nothing is yet official.

Car Advice’s article concludes with “be ready for a very new Bugatti coming next” Special Edition and the La Voiture Noire are just two of the many debuts for 2019.