Rolls-Royce Won't Launch First SUV Before 2018

By Ilka Kopplin

GENEVA--Luxury car maker Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (RR.LN) will start selling its first sports-utility vehicle in 2018 at the earliest, the chief executive of the BMW AG (BMW.XE) subsidiary said Wednesday.

The SUV that Rolls-Royce had announced a few weeks ago will enter the market "not yet in 2017," Torsten Muller-Otvos said in an interview at the Geneva Motor Show.

The brand's annual sales can rise to between 5,500 and 6,500 vehicles without harming its exclusivity, he said, but stressed that Rolls-Royce doesn't have a particular sales target to reach. Last year, the U.K. company sold 4,063 cars.

Mr. Muller-Otvos reiterated that he is confident that his brand can increase sales by at least one car this year. The unit had a "good" start to 2015, and Mr. Muller-Otvos predicted strong sales in the U.S., the Middle East and Asia.

Business in Russia is difficult and China has become a challenging market due to a government crackdown on corruption, he said.

Write to Ilka Kopplin at [e-mail]

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