Volkswagen to have Audi unit oversee luxury brand Bentley

Volkswagen prepares to make British luxury automaker Bentley a subsidiary of its Audi division as it looks towards economies of scale among its top-end brands, German publication Automobilwoche reported.

Bentley, at this moment, is overseen by the head of VW’s Porsche business, Oliver Blume, and from next year it will become part of Audi, where VW group Chief Executive Herbert Diess believes it has more potential, Automobilwoche mentioned company sources as saying.

Synergies could include the utilization of Audi technology for a new Bentley SUV, it added.

Volkswagen, which refused to comment on the report, is evaluating the future of its high-performance brands Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Ducati motorcycles as part of a broader quest for more economies of scale as it shifts to mass-producing electric vehicles.

Sources knowledgeable with the matter informed Reuters this month that Volkswagen was preparing Lamborghini for a stock market listing.