May 26, 2015—Lamborghini is set to announce on Wednesday that its new SUV will be built in Italy after reaching a deal on tax breaks with the Italian government, according to sources.
Audi is looking to broaden Lamborghini’s lineup beyond the two-seat supercars for which they are known. The new SUV will be Lamborghini’s first since the production of the LM002- nicknamed the Rambo Lambo- ended in 1993.
The press conference on Wednesday will be attended by Lamborghini chief Stephan Winkelmann and Rupert Stadler, CEO of Audi, according to reports.
In exchange for Lamborghini’s plans to hire as many as 500 people, the Italian government will grant as much as $87 million in tax breaks to expand production in Italy, according to sources familiar with the matter.
To cuts costs, the chassis and other key components are set to be produced at Volkswagen Group factories.
The Lamborghini’s SUV is being launched as increasing wealth led to record sales last year for most major luxury-car makers. Lamborghini’s deliveries rose to an all-time high of 2,530 cars, or a 19 percent increase. Lamborghini has previously said that they have the potential to sell 3,000 SUVs a year, which would double the size of the brand.
The model will compete against other luxury SUVs including the Maserati Levante and Bentley Bentayga.
