Unfazed by their country's economic slump, some of Russia's wealthier citizens are lining up to pre-order brand-new Bentley luxury cars.
Russian orders for Bentayga — the luxury carmaker's new SUV — equal 10 percent of the company's planned global production of the vehicle, the head of Bentley Russia told the Izvestia newspaper on Tuesday.
"Russia is one of the primary markets for the Bentayga," Richard Leopold was quoted as saying.
The car's Russian price tag has not been made public, but the Associated Press reported this month that it would cost $221,600 in the U.S. — an amount that would take a Russian earning an average wage almost 9 years to earn at current exchange rates.
The Bentayga was officially unveiled by the luxury motor company at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt last week, and is Bentley's first-ever production SUV.
SUVs are popular in Russia thanks to its often-potholed roads, and the new model seems set to multiply the country's importance for Bentley. "The Russian market right now only accounts for 2 percent of Bentley's global production." Izvestia quoted Leopold as saying. The company sold 225 cars in Russia last year, the report said.
