On a visit to the Bentley headquarters in Crewe, Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the announcement, saying: “This £800 million investment and 1,000 new jobs from Bentley is fantastic news for both Crewe and for the UK as a whole. It is another important milestone in strengthening our economy.

“I am delighted that Bentley will be building their new vehicle here, not only creating a thousand jobs, but safeguarding many more, as well as increasing training opportunities for highly skilled apprentices.”

The SUV will go on sale in 2016. Over the next 3 years Bentley will invest more than £800 million in its headquarters in Crewe and the development of new models.