Report Aston Martin Boss Confirms Lagonda Plans, More Than One Model Coming

[HighestOfHigh]

When Aston Martin previewed the rebirth of the Lagonda brand with an ungainly SUV concept at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, no one was optimistic about its success. Aston took the criticism to heart, but plans to go ahead with the brand's comeback, according to the latest from Dr. Ulrich Bez.

Unfortunately, the latest also includes a comparison of the Lagonda re-launch to Daimler's underperforming hyperlux marque, Maybach. Though it's a favorable comparison (Bez says Lagonda can be re-launched for much less money), we have to question any mention of Maybach when talking about a new brand. It's not exactly a model for success, aesthetic or economic.

According to Aston's chief designer, Marek Reichman, the Lagonda brand is built around a four-door, four-seat, four-wheel-drive premise, with the focus being not performance, but the journey. It also needs to "cope with rough terrain." That spells SUV.

It also spells "expensive": the Lagonda range is expected to span the $160,000-$480,000 range. That's dear enough to make even the most loaded, luxurious Range Rover look like a bargain buy. With Land Rover's widely acclaimed off-road capability and comparisons between its interior quality and Rolls-Royce's common, Aston will have a rough road marketing the Lagonda lineup at three times the price.

There will be a lineup, too, not just one vehicle, according to hints dropped by Bez. The range will use help from a partner to provide platform and drivetrain technologies, with Mercedes-Benz among the contenders.


- MotorAuthority

 

[EnI]

That's a clever move!

There are plenty ultra-luxury limos, coupes, cabrios, roadsters & supercars. But no single SUV / crossover!

I can see a market for an ultra-luxury SUV. And that's an opportunity for Lagonda.

Will this open a completely new segment? I wouldn't be surprised Lagonda platform will be shared with MB SUV above GL (the new G?) or even for a brand new Maybach SUV / crossover. Or even both. G < Lagonda < Maybach. Same platform, different price segments.

Lagonda brand can also offer eg. an ultra-luxury AWD fastback or shooting brake etc. Similar perhaps to the top end version of Panamera (still cheaper car), upcoming Bugatti 16C (ultimate-luxury hyperexpensive car), or perhaps the brand new Ferrari FF (emphasis on performance rather on journey).

 

[Merc1]

Can't wait to see what they come up with. Would love to see a full-on luxury Lagonda to take on Bentley and Rolls at the top of the market. The 80's sedan was really something different. I just hope their SUV looks nothing like that concept. I think Land Rover is planning on take the next Range Rover into the over 100K class also.


M

 

[HighestOfHigh]

The 80's sedan was really something different.

Sure was...

 

[Wolfgang]

Aston confirms Lagonda rebirth

Aston boss Ulrich Bez has confirmed the rebirth of the Lagonda brand, saying it was “go” and that it “will not stand on one leg”, suggesting a range of new models.

The company is seeking financial backing for the project and an automotive partner to provide platform and drivetrain technologies. “Daimler spent around a billion relaunching the Maybach brand,” said Bez. “But we can do Lagonda for a small fraction of that cost.”

The controversial Lagonda SUV concept shown at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show was based on a Mercedes GL and Bez admitted that a Mercedes tie-up remained “a good concept”. This could become more appealing to both parties if the proposed deal for Aston Martin to develop and build future Maybach models goes ahead.

Future Lagondas will be four-wheel-drive SUVs and target emerging markets, especially Russia and China. “Aston Martin is present in 35 countries but there are limits to where you can drive a sports car,” said Janette Green, Aston’s director of brand communications. “In Russia, for example, you need a car that can cope with difficult roads and harsh winters.” To enhance their appeal in these markets, Lagonda will offer armoured versions of its models.

According to Bez, the range will span £100-300k. This would help Lagonda establish a new market for super-luxury SUVs. Bentley has plans for a crossover SUV but there are no other obvious rivals.

Bez and chief designer Marek Reichman have not been deterred by the negative reaction to the Geneva show car. “That was a reaction car,” said Reichmann. “It was about provoking debate and gauging whether people were willing to accept Lagonda as a brand. People didn’t say Lagonda shouldn’t exist, they just said that a Lagonda shouldn’t look like that. Our research shows that 60 per cent of people thought Lagonda was a viable brand.”

Although the company is registered as Aston Martin Lagonda Limited, the two brands will be distinct. The SUVs will be badged ‘Lagonda’, not ‘Aston Martin Lagonda’. Nor will there be an Aston Martin version of a Lagonda model.

Reichmann, who admits to having worked through several different design studies for a new Lagonda, cites a key philosophical difference between the two brands. “A Lagonda has four doors and four seats and is about the journey. That is why it must have four-wheel drive and cope with tough terrain. An Aston Martin is about the drive.”

Aston confirms Lagonda rebirth - Autocar.co.uk

 

[63Bonneville]

I'm loving and appreciating this, and this news had been ongoing, but appears more official now! What I an hoping, and would like to see, is a cooperation with Daimler, which had been reported on in the past, and referred to as "Project Romeo and Juliet". I'm also hoping to see a large, luxury saloon, as well as an SUV-type vehicle, perhaps the saloon sharing a chassis with the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the W222, and have some DNA with the next-generation Maybach, which, itself, according to reports, will be based on the W222. I can't see a Lagonda sedan/saloon based upon a Rapide chassis, for, it's like too small for such a vehicle, and the Aston-Martin VH chassis, I understand, is maxed-out for the Rapide. Also stated, no Aston-Martin or Lagonda will be shared.

 

[Wolfgang]

thetorquereport.com

Report: Aston Martin planning two or three Lagonda models

Earlier this year, we reported that Aston Martin had allegedly given its Lagonda crossover concept the green light for production. Now, in speaking to Europe's CAR magazine, Aston CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez has confirmed that the concept will spawn "two or three" new Lagonda models.

Aston Martin is planning two full-fledged Lagonda crossovers – one that focuses on sport, and one more geared to all-terrain prowess, along the lines of the Audi Allroad, according to CAR. The sporty Lagonda would likely use a low-riding chassis and larger 21-inch wheels, while the more traditional CUV would have more modest suspension and wheel fittings.

The third potential offering? A luxury sedan not unlike the original Lagonda four-door from decades ago. CAR reports that, like Aston's smaller Cygnet, the Lagonda sedan would combine traditional luxury amenities with "advanced packaging and a sophisticated drivetrain."

No word on how long it will take Aston Martin to ready its Lagonda sub-brand, but since the company seems to be quite serious about launching this duo (or trio) of vehicles, we could see something crop up within the next few years.

Aston Martin planning two or three Lagonda models - Autoblog

 

[Kowalski]

I've been hearing rumours of a Lagonda remake since 1993...

 

[Wolfgang]

latest rumors

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Aston Martin SUV on the way

• Aston Martin Lagonda SUV planned

• Could be based on Mercedes M-Class

• M-Class AMG due later this year

Mercedes new M-Class is set to form the basis for the long-awaited Aston Martin Lagonda luxury off-roader, according to well-placed sources at Mercedes-Benz.

The new M-Class, which is due on sale in the UK next spring, will follow the outgoing model in supplying a slightly lengthened version of its platform for a new seven-seat GL. However, insiders at Mercedes admit that the longer chassis is also being lined up for the ambitious Lagonda - which was previewed in a controversially styled concept car at the Geneva motor show in 2009.

'There have been discussions,' admitted one Mercedes source. 'There is potentially some attraction because it could help economies of scale.'

Aston chairman Dr Ulrich Bez has been talking to Mercedes-Benz for some time about a working partnership that could give the manufacturer access to Mercedes technology and, in particular, its V8 engines. The Lagonda project could be particularly lucrative in expanding markets in countries such as China and Russia, where lavish off-roaders are increasingly popular.

In the meantime, the hot AMG version of the new M-Class is scheduled to make its public debut at the Los Angeles motor show in November. It’s likely to use a 5.5-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing around 515bhp and 516lb ft.

Aston Martin SUV on the way - Car and Car-Buying News - What Car?

 

[Human]

Updated Lagonda SUV to bow "In the coming year"

The Lagonda SUV concept that Aston Martin displayed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show was far from a resounding success, but the British automaker is quietly working on a new version of the luxury utility vehicle that will debut in the not too distant future.

Speaking with Britain’s Autocar, Aston Martin head Ulrich Bez revealed that the Lagonda concept is still alive and well inside the walls of the company’s Gaydon headquarters. In fact, Bez says an updated version of the Lagonda concept will debut “in the coming year”.
Although there is still no word on when we might see a production version of the Lagonda, the SUV will play a critical role in Aston Martin’s attempt to get a stronger foothold in the ever-important Chinese market. Sales of high-dollar sports cars are still relatively limited due to the global economy, with the Chinese market no exception.
“The traditional markets for supercars — the US and Europe — are still depressed,” 
said IHS Automotive analyst Colin Couchman. “Although the Chinese market remains buoyant, that won’t feed through to Aston because the Chinese don’t yet see the value of displaying their wealth through owning an expensive sports car.”
However, Chinese buyers are willing to spend large amounts of money on utility vehicles like the Lagonda. In fact, that is the exact reason companies likeLamborghini and Bentley have recently unveiled SUVs of their own.
But while a Lagonda SUV is all but a sure thing, Aston Martin has already ruled out a Lagonda sedan.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/updated-lagonda-suv-to-bow-in-the-coming-year.html

 

[Centurion]

The Rapide is the Lagonda sedan. However the practicality of the Rapide is that of a two door coupe and joining the SUV wars early will give Aston an advantage over everyone else sitting on the fence lik Lamborghini and Bentley.

 

[Wunderkind]

I hate to say it. But Aston Martin is looking more and more like Lotus.

I admire the guts and the passion of the people behind these two companies. But I just don't know how much longer they can go on in their current form.

 

[Centurion]

I hate to say it. But Aston Martin is looking more and more like Lotus.

I admire the guts and the passion of the people behind these two companies. But I just don't know how much longer they can go on in their current form.

Or more like Bentley you mean? Aston Martin has long departed from their racing heritage. One doesn't buy an Aston Martin for technical excellence but more for showmanship and out right drop dead gorgeousness.

 

[Levi68]

Or more like Bentley you mean? Aston Martin has long departed from their racing heritage. One doesn't buy an Aston Martin for technical excellence but more for showmanship and out right drop dead gorgeousness.

Drive a good car that looks bad (BMW M135i) or drive a bad car that looks good (Aston Martin) ? That's the question !

 

[speed_kills]

I hate to say it. But Aston Martin is looking more and more like Lotus.

I admire the guts and the passion of the people behind these two companies. But I just don't know how much longer they can go on in their current form.

They will last forever.

 

[Merc1]

Suddenly that Aston SUV looks better than the Bentley to me.

M

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

latest rumors

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Eeeew. The only thing that looks good is the interior. Exterior does not merit either the A-M or Lagonda badge.

Suddenly that Aston SUV looks better than the Bentley to me.

M

Well, the bar is set pretty low when it comes to the exterior of that monstrosity that was the Bentley SUV concept.

 

[Centurion]

Eeeew. The only thing that looks good is the interior.

I'm sorry but there is no silver lining here, not even the interior is pretty. The dashboard design belong an an MPV by Renault or Citroen. I cannot recall the last time I saw such an unappealing steering wheel.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

I'm sorry but there is no silver lining here, not even the interior is pretty. The dashboard design belong an an MPV by Renault or Citroen. I cannot recall the last time I saw such an unappealing steering wheel.

Well, for a crossover-type vehicle the interior is pretty good. But I'm willing to concede a bit that I may be looking at the interior relative to the extremely ungainly exterior.

 

[Wolfgang]

An update from Georg Kacher:

Four years ago, Mercedes prepared a Maybach Über-Benz edition of the GL SUV. It had loads of bling, a lavish interior and even more poke for that AMG V-8. A second one-off GL was skinned in Gaydon where Marek Reichman converted it into the Lagonda show car. Both vehicles bombed: the Maybach because the brand was killed overnight, the Lagonda because it looked ho-hum and Aston Martin had no money anyway.

Both projects are back on, in modified form. Mercedes still likes the idea of doing a very high-end coupe edition of the GL. Aston still likes the idea of a crossover. The human link between these two products is Andrea Bonomi, the new strong man at Aston who used to collaborate with Mercedes´ AMG division when he owned Ducati. So far, the crossover program is still tentative, but if the numbers add up and the people don´t clash, Mercedes may in late 2016 introduce a new product to its Tuscaloosa facility. From there, the Lagonda would be shipped to the UK for final assembly.

http://rumors.automobilemag.com/the-deep-dive-in-which-luxury-suvs-share-big-platforms-235791.html