Rolls-Royce mulls building its first SUV: CEO

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Rolls-Royce (BMWG.DE), the maker of the 345,550-euro ($458,400) ultra-luxury Phantom saloon, is considering building its first sport-utility vehicle.

“The (SUV) segment is highly interesting,” chief executive Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes told Reuters at the Frankfurt motor show on Wednesday. “We’re now looking at it but there are no plans as yet.”

Rolls-Royce’s U.K.-based rival Bentley (VOWG_p.DE) is planning to build its first four-by-four, the so-called EXP 9 F concept, which debuted in March 2012. Lamborghini also recently showcased the Urus SUV, though production hasn’t been approved yet by parent VW.

Rolls-Royce, owned by German premium automaker BMW (BMWG.DE), expects to increase global sales above last year’s 3,575 cars and aims to cross the 4,000-threshold in 2014, the CEO said in an interview.