When Aston Martin unveiled the Lagonda SUV concept in 2009, reactions to the study’s design were mixed at best. It wasn’t exactly a pretty sight and it failed to convince management that it will be a winner.
However, since then there have been many reports about Aston Martin bringing an SUV to production with the help of Daimler AG. No official announcements have been made so far though. Moreover, it appears that the SUV is no longer a priority for Aston Martin, as the company’s director of design Marek Reichman admitted recently.
“We first showed the Lagonda SUV concept back in 2009. We still have plans for the (Lagonda) brand. There might be some surprises in the marque’s re-establishment into the market place, but as a very unique coachbuilt experience. And that’s probably what’s most befitting of the brand,” Reichman told Piston Heads.
Some may think that this means Aston Martin will focus on turning Lagonda into a high-end badge, but Reichman says it’s more than that. “It’s the reinvention of the marque, the brand, but done in a very, very limited way. It’s not something we believe that is a mass product,” the executive explained.
A “very limited” Aston Martin model will likely mean less than 100 units, each with a prohibitive price tag and very luxurious – a description that would fit well with the rumored Lagonda sedan, especially for markets like China and the rest of Asia, where four-door luxury sedans sell very well. For instance, Aston Martin’s most successful model in China is the Rapide.
So what about the SUV? “That was a different time. It was Ulrich’s time (Ulrich Bez, former Aston Martin CEO). And now we’re in a very, very different time, with a different plan and with a different projection of what that brand should become,” Reichman said.
By Dan Mihalascu
Photo Gallery
