Rolls-Royce’s CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös confirmed late last year that the historic British automaker was considering adding an SUV to its ranks, and now its design chief Giles Taylor has revealed that the automaker’s design team is working on sketches to assess the viability of the concept.

Speaking with Autocar, Taylor explained that a crossover with a sloping roof was not what Rolls-Royce was after but rather a proper SUV. An insider is also reported to have said that a “Mercedes GLK-plus-plus” is what the design team is aiming for.

It’s important to note that production of a Rolls-Royce SUV is not certain yet, although strong demand for SUVs, especially in China, which has become one of the marque’s strongest markets, is likely to see it enter production.

Autocar also reports that the Rolls-Royce SUV is unlikely to arrive before 2017 and that it is more likely to share a platform with the next-generation Ghost, due in 2018, rather than the next-generation Phantom, due in 2017.

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