There has been a lot of talk about Aston Martin’s plans to build an SUV after the automaker unveiled the Lagonda Concept at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show.
Rumors have picked up even more traction after the British company announced a technical partnership with Daimler AG, with many media outlets talking about a Mercedes GL-based SUV from Aston Martin.
Well, it appears that the carmaker’s priorities are different from what has been reported in recent years, as Aston Martin has confirmed that an SUV does not feature in its current production plan. Despite the fact that high-end brands like Lamborghini and Bentley are embracing SUVs, Aston Martin design director Marek Reichmann said such a model might not be a good fit in the Aston family.
“Is it right for Aston? It’s a 50-50 question. We originally showed the 2009 concept SUV because we’ve always believed in the capability of the Lagonda marque,” Reichmann told Top Gear. “But we have priorities, and one of the biggest right now is that we have £500 million worth of investment over the next five years to develop the ‘core’ of AM,” he explained.
Reichmann also said Aston Martin cannot afford the luxury of bringing to market several new projects at a time. “We’re a small company with a limited amount of resource, and have to pick and choose accordingly. We are developing brand new cars now – our ‘core’ products – and the SUV is not part of that plan,” he added.
However, he conceded that once those core products will be finalized, “we can start to think about the next product.” Aston Martin is expected to reveal its all-new chassis on the upcoming DB9 in the first quarter of 2016.
Note: 2009 Aston Martin Lagonda concept pictured
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