At first a concept car like any other, the Galibieri quickly became the root for constant speculation on what might be Bugatti’s model. The two most forwarded possibilities where a sleek, super-luxurious sedan and a high-riding vehicle of sorts similar to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, yet a new report from Bloomberg says that the Galibier could morph into a grand tourer or crossover motivated by an all-electric powertrain, provided Volkswagen AG greenlights the project.

The New, Four-Door Bugatti Could Be an Electric Sedan or Crossover

As much as we’d like to see a Bugatti sedan coming out of Molsheim, considering the way the current market works, with so many people buying SUVs and crossovers, leaving the good old sedan prey to oblivion, it’s probably safer to admit that a crossover design stands the most chances of getting an approval.

With that in mind, we simply cannot ignore a particular report from the summer of 2019, one that quoted Bugatti CEO Stephan Winkelmann saying that the SUV’s design was finalized and it even received favorable feedback from a bunch of potential customers.

Moreover, Mr. Winkelmann has always been in favor of an electrification experiment at Bugatti, and that is why Bloomberg’s report claiming the French firm is “in discussion within parent Volkswagen AG about the investment” seems to hold a lot of weight. Is VAG finally hearing out Bugatti’s desires? And even more, is the German giant willing to bet massively on such a project in a time when it is still fighting to find stable ground?

That’s something we can’t answer at the moment, but in case the Volkswagen Group won’t be able to support Bugatti’s endeavour, the case of the all-electric Bugatti (be it a crossover or a sedan) won’t be completely lost.

Even as a Daily Driver, the Galibier as a Sedan or Crossover Will be Expensive

We mean, come on, this is Bugatti. Of course, any other car they make to complement the Chiron is going to cost an arm and a leg, even if it will look like a sedan or a crossover. Then again, this is Bugatti, so whichever body shape Molsheim decides to pull out of the hat will have to host a cabin that’s above everybody else’s when it comes to design, quality, and technology, as well as rock-solid performance.

If that wasn’t enough of a challenge, developing an all-electric powertrain fit for a Bugatti won’t happen that easily, even with the full backing from Volkswagen. So, yeah, while this reportedly upcoming Bugatti Galibieri won’t cost $3 million, we still expect it to demand anywhere between $500,000 and $1 million. How else will all those one-percenters even consider being seen in one?

Bugatti Needs Help and Approval From VAG - Won't Be Chasing Records Anymore

Let’s put it this way. Bugatti can’t afford to expand its lineup with a new model on its own. As we all recall, the Veyron, through its extravagant nature, was, in fact, a money-eating black hole for the Volkswagen Group as a whole. Then again, the Veyron came at a time when things were a lot rosier for the German giant. Stricken by Dieselgate and its legal repercussions (fines included), VAG has lost the luxury of pumping money into anything else than its own green aspirations. That’s why the decision to build a Galibieri-branded model - be it a four-door EV shaped like a sedan or a hunchback-y SUV - will come under heavy scrutiny.

Despite “earning decent money” as CEO Winkelmann puts it, Bugatti doesn't have the financial power to sustain such a project on its own. Also vector in the fact that, regardless how good a reception the all-electric ID.3 enjoyed, a few more years need to pass before Volkswagen can rely on the income generated by its green cars. With those aspects in mind, it becomes crystal-clear just how burdening the decision to build the Galibieri actually is for VW’s top-tier management.