Aston Martin's Lagonda concept received what could best be described as the polar opposite of a warm welcome this past March at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, and now word is coming out of the British Isles that the supercar maker's plan to launch Lagonda as a separate brand of luxury SUVs is on hold indefinitely.
Why the hold-up? Autocar quotes Aston CEO Ulrich Bez saying that despite having investors ready to provide up to 250 million pounds in financing, “the timing is simply wrong,” likely a reference to the state of the global economy.
Production Lagondas were reportedly set to be built on platforms sourced from Mercedes-Benz, with the concept being built on a version of the platform that underpins the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class. They would have been targeted at emerging markets such as China, Russia, the Middle East, and South America. The concept was powered by a gasoline V-12 engine but production models would likely have featured advanced diesel and hybrid powertrains.
And while an Aston spokesperson tells Autocar that there never were any plans to bring the Lagonda concept to production, the news that Lagonda may be a one-off mistake is unlikely to upset any Aston fans. Or anyone else, for that matter.
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