Fans of many iconic car brands tend to attack their beloved companies’ attempts to venture onto new territory (remember Porsche ‘blurring’ its brand identity with the Cayenne?) Nonetheless, SUVs are what keeps businesses afloat nowadays, and Aston Martin is not an exception, either.
The British luxury automaker has only introduced its first-ever SUV – the DBX – a few months ago, but the expectations are high, indeed. According to estimations, the sale volumes will amount to at least 4,000 – 5,000 units per year, enabling AM to concentrate its efforts on developing its mid-engine supercar Vanquish, as well as Lagonda EVs.
The demand for traditional supercars keeps falling, leaving Aston Martin with net losses in the second half of 2019. According to AM CEO Andy Palmer, over 70% owners of AM vehicles already own a SUV or multiple SUVs made by competing brands, so the current goal would be to persuade these customers to sell their Cayennes and Range Rovers in favor of the DBX.
In 2020, the Aston Martin lineup sees two major additions: the recently unveiled Vantage Roadster and the Vanquish, the company’s first mass-produced mid-engine sports car unless you count the strictly limited Valkyrie and Valhalla. Note that AM used to produce front-engine GT cars with the Vanquish badge on them some time ago.
The Lagonda EV series will be launched into production in 2023 in the same factory in Wales, England where the DBX is currently being produced.