Bentley expects record-breaking sales in S. Korea next year

Bentley Motors Korea expects vehicle sales to reach 500 units next year and exceed its previous record of 385 cars in 2015 with the availability of the FlyingSpur V8 luxury sedan and the facelifted Bentayga V8 SUV in the local market.

The Flying Spur with the popular V8 powertrain was unveiled for the first time in South Korea on Wednesday.

The automaker anticipates global sales of around 14,000 units for next year.

This year, Bentley has sold 11,000 cars globally.

In Korea, the company said it anticipates sales to reach around 290 units by the end of this year. As of September, the company said it sold 213 units here.

From January to September, Bentley sold a total of 213 vehicles in South Korea, nearly tripling from 73 in the year-ago period, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.

According to Warren Clarke, head of Bentley Motors Korea, the company has received 180 preorders for the FlyingSpur V8 in South Korea, which is one of the countries to receive an early delivery of the revamped luxury sports sedan.

Offered in two trims, the price of the Flying Spur V8 Classic trim is 320 million won, and the Sports trim is 323 million won, the company said.

The Continental GT V8 sports coupe is currently the only Bentley model available in the South Korean market as of October.

South Korea is Bentley's sixth-biggest market in terms of sales, trailing only the US, China, the UK, Germany, and Japan.