After being absent for over half a century, German luxury brand Borgward is set to make a return with a brand new SUV.
Set to be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the new SUV has the task of relaunching the Borgward name is likely to feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain to bring the company bang up to date.
Ahead of its debut, Borgward has released two images of the new SUV – one of which, snapped during testing at Germany’s Nurburgring, give us our first glimpse of the newcomer. Not much is given away with the new SUV looking decidedly bland thanks to its uniform camouflage wrap, but it’s clear to see designers have opted for a large grille complete with an oversized version of Borgward’s diamond-shaped badge.
Inside, there’s a glimpse of beige leather upholstery hinting at the Borgward SUV’s luxury focus and we can also expect the car to feature the latest infotainment technology just like any other premium German SUV.
There’s no word on powertrains but it’s thought the new SUV will use a plug-in nybrid powertrain thanks to its tie-up with the Chinese industrial company Foton, and the car could even be built in China rather than Germany.
Despite Borgward being relaunched as a high-end brand, judging by this picture at the Nurburgring, the car will have a focus on sporty handling and chassis set-up, showing that Borgward bosses have an eye on performance SUVs like the BMW X5 and the Porsche Cayenne.
Plans to bring back Borgward were announced at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, headed by the original founder’s grandson. It’s believed the reborn car firm will initially focus on the Chinese market – where there’s a healthy appetite for SUVs and European brands – and has set a target of 800,000 sales a year by 2020, and also plans on a wide range of products.
But while SUVs are undoubtedly popular, it’s a far cry from Borgward’s heritage – during the 1950s it was the third largest vehicle manufacturer in Germany and was known for its stylish coupes, saloons and commercial vehicles, before becoming bankrupt in 1961.
Can this old brand can compete with Audi, BMW and Porsche? Let us know in the comments box below.
