This photo taken on March 8, 2023, shows Bentley Motors’ first flagship retail showroom Bentley Cube in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 8 (Korea Bizwire) — British luxury carmaker Bentley Motors Ltd. said Wednesday it has opened its first flagship retail showroom in South Korea to make a bigger presence in Asia’s fourth-biggest economy.
Bentley Motors opened the Bentley Cube in southern Seoul earlier in the day to better serve its Korean customers and set the standard for similar retail showrooms in other countries.
Describing Korea as the center of one of the leading luxury markets in the world, Bentley Motors Chairman and Chief Executive Adrian Hallmark said, “The launch of the Bentley Cube reflects the growing importance of the Korean market for Bentley.”
Bentley sold a total of 775 vehicles in Korea last year, jumping 53 percent from 506 units a year earlier.
One out of Bentley’s 18 limited edition Batur models was sold in Korea this year. The two-door super-powerful coupe starts at 2.6 billion won (US$1.97 million), with the prices going up depending on options.
Christian Schlick, head of the Bentley brand, the South Korean unit of the German carmaker, stands next to the Bentley Mulliner Batur coupe during a publicity event in Seoul on March 6, 2023. (Yonhap)
In 2022, South Korea was the biggest market in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of sales for the British carmaker, beating China, the world’s biggest automobile market.
This year, Bentley said it aims to achieve at least a similar level of sales compared to last year, if not even further.
The company plans to introduce upgraded versions of three models available here — the Flying Spur, the three-door coupe Continental GT, and the Bentayga SUV — to prop up sales.
Asked about possible cooperation with Korean battery makers, the chairman said Bentley has an interest in technology partnerships with Korean firms.
Bentley is part of Volkswagen Group, which carries seven out of its 10 brands in Korea — four under its wing and three independently.
The four brands are Audi, Volkswagen, Bentley and Lamborghini, and the three are Porsche, Scania Group Korea, and MAN Truck & Bus Korea.
(Yonhap)
