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British super luxury car brand Bentley announced on Thursday the launch of its most popular model, the new Continental GT coupe, in India.
With a price tag of Rs 1.9 crore, the luxury coupe will be sold by Exclusive Motors, Bentley's official importer in Mumbai and Delhi.
With the number of rich Indians growing rapidly, the Continental GT will compete with models such as the BMW 7 series, the Porsche Panamera and the Rolls-Royce Ghost in the small but fast-growing luxury car market.
Exclusive Motors, a company which also deals in other premium brands from the Volkswagen Group — Lamborghini and Bugatti — said it has already received 10 bookings for the two-door, four-seater Continental GT.
“India is aggressively growing in the luxury automobile space. We aim to touch sales of 100 units a year in the next two years. India contributes about 2 per cent of Bentley's global sales and we see the number rising to 4-5 per cent in future. India being a key market, we would see the launch of more key models in the coming two years,” said Mr Chris Buxton, Bentley Regional Director (India, West Asia and Africa).
Designed as a self-driven luxury car with everyday practicality, the Continental GT has an entirely hand-crafted interior. It is fitted with an all-wheel drive system and a 567 BHP 12-cylinder engine, which when regulated with the six-speed transmission, can take the car to a top speed of 318 kmph.
Speaking on the outlook for the market, Mr Buxton said the Indian super luxury car market — cars priced above Rs 1 crore — is estimated at 600-700 units this year and is growing at around 30 per cent every year. Bentley expects to grow 30 per cent this year in India on sales of 45 units.
Bentley's launch of its model follows the entry of other luxury carmakers in the recent past. While Italian legend Ferrari, its sister brand Maserati, Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg and British sports-car maker Aston Martin have all announced plans to start sales in India this year, Lamborghini, Porsche and Bugatti — the maker of the world's fastest car, the Veyron — have set up operations in India.
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