Aston Martin’s intrepid plan to compete with Rolls-Royce takes shape

By Ronan Glon February 6, 2019

Aston Martin Lagonda All-Terrain concept teaser

On the surface, Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce have little more than decades of British heritage in common. One makes sports cars, the other makes high-end luxury cars. They shouldn’t overlap. But they did once, and they will again when Aston Martin resurrects the Lagonda name as a luxurious, eco-friendly sub-brand. We’ll get a preview of the brand’s first model at the 2019 Geneva Auto Show.

Aston released a dark image to give us a glimpse of the Lagonda All-Terrain Concept. As its name implies, it takes the form of an SUV developed to conquer, well, just about any terrain. Its front end wears an evolution of the U-shaped grille worn by the Lagonda Vision Concept unveiled during the 2018 edition of the event, and it’s not too far-fetched to speculate the two design studies feature the same thin LED headlights. Lagonda’s design language is slowly but surely taking shape.

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The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept will remain in the dark until its official unveiling in early March. That’s when we’ll know whether it’s more of a conventional-looking SUV, like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan it will compete against, or if it channels Aston’s sporty heritage with a sleeker-looking roof line. Technical specifications remain under wraps, too, but power for the concept comes from an electric powertrain.

“By taking full advantage of its zero emission platform Lagonda’s design team has created a car boasting extraordinary style and space efficiency combined with a rakish design language that demonstrates the unique freedom afforded by Lagonda’s commitment to zero emission powertrain technologies,” Aston Martin wrote in a statement.

The Aston Martin Lagonda All-Terrain concept will break cover on March 5, the first press day of the Geneva Auto Show, and it will be the first model released by the company’s Lagonda sub-brand. The production version of the Lagonda Vision Concept will join it in showrooms shortly after.

We don’t know when production will start, but odds are both design studies have already embarked on their journey from concept cars to production models behind the scenes. Assembly will take place in the same St. Athan, Wales, factory that will build the upcoming DBX, the model that will take Aston into the SUV segment.

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We need more 7-passenger EVs, but the 2023 Mercedes EQS SUV has room to improve

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is continuing to expand its EV lineup, this time with a model aimed at (wealthy) families.
As the name states, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is an SUV derivative of the EQS sedan. With the EQS sedan positioned as the electric analog to the Mercedes S-Class, the EQS SUV is the electric version of the GLS-Class. And like that vehicle, the EQS SUV is available with up to seven seats across three rows.
That makes the EQS SUV an important vehicle not just for Mercedes, but for the cause of EV adoption in general. While the Tesla Model X and Rivian R1S also offer three rows for family-hauling duty, there’s a lot more room in the market for another entry. Given the popularity of equivalent gasoline luxury SUVs like the GLS, Land Rover Range Rover, and Cadillac Escalade, the EQS SUV arrives not a moment too soon.
The EQS SUV is scheduled to reach U.S. dealerships this fall in three guises. The base rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ starts at $105,550 with destination, while the all-wheel drive EQS 450 4Matic and EQS 580 4Matic start at $108,550 and $127,100, respectively. Although it will be built in Alabama, the EQS SUV won’t qualify for the revised federal EV tax credit because it exceeds the $80,000 price cap for SUVs.

Design and interior
A defining feature of Mercedes’ EQ lineup is aerodynamic bodywork aimed at maximizing range. The typical SUV is not aerodynamically ideal, but Mercedes managed to achieve an impressively low drag coefficient for an SUV — at 0.26, it’s close to the Toyota Prius. But function clearly took precedence over form. Mercedes deserves credit for not going in the polarizing direction BMW did with its two-row iX SUV, but the EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.
More disappointing is the third row, which should be the EQS SUV’s defining feature, but seems more like a useless afterthought. Adults will find it difficult to insert themselves into the third-row seats, let alone tolerate riding in them. As in most three-row vehicles, the rear seats also pretty much eliminate cargo space. And if you want to fold them down to create more cargo room, you’ll have to do it manually as Mercedes didn’t include a power-folding system — a bit disappointing for a six-figure car. The EQS SUV also lacks a frunk; like the EQS sedan, the hood is sealed.
The EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.

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Lux and refreshingly livable, Mercedes’ EQE moves EVs mainstream

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan.

Mercedes-Benz wants its EQ sub-brand to be an all-electric counterpart to its current lineup of gasoline luxury cars, and it’s working toward that goal by starting at opposite ends of the price spectrum and working toward the middle.
Where the EQS sedan and SUV are the flagships of the lineup, and the EQB serves as an entry-level offering, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan aims for the middle of the market. It’s pitched as an electric equivalent of the Mercedes E-Class, one of the automaker’s bread-and-butter models. And like the E-Class, the EQE will compete against sedans from Mercedes’ German rivals, such as the Audi e-tron GT, BMW i4, and Porsche Taycan. It will likely be cross-shopped against the Genesis Electrified G80, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S as well.
The EQE sedan arrives at U.S. dealerships in late 2022 in four guises: base rear-wheel drive EQE 350+, all-wheel drive EQE 350 4Matic and EQE 500 4Matic, and an AMG EQE performance version. Mercedes hasn’t disclosed pricing for any of these models, but the EQE 350 4Matic we tested for this first drive will likely be a mid-tier trim level. Like its EQS sibling, the EQE will also get an SUV variant, which will launch sometime after the sedan version.

Design and interior
The EQE has the same lozenge-like shape as the EQS sedan, which is dictated by aerodynamics. The appeal of the design is up for debate, but the smooth shape reduces aerodynamic drag, which helps improve efficiency and range. Under the skin, the EQE is also based on the same EVA2 architecture as the EQS sedan.
But while the two EQ sedans look similar at first glance, the EQE is a bit smaller than its sibling. It’s 10.6 inches shorter than the EQS sedan, with a 3.5-inch shorter wheelbase. Rear-seat passengers might notice the difference, but like its gasoline E-Class counterpart, the EQE is aimed more at drivers than passengers. Its tidier proportions were also a bit more pleasing to our eyes, making the EQE look sleeker than its sibling.
The interior design is minimalist while still maintaining functionality.

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Tesla to fix window software on 1M of its U.S. cars

A 2021 Tesla Model S.

Tesla is sending out an over-the-air update to a million of its vehicles in the U.S. to fix faulty window software that could leave occupants with pinched fingers.

According to a document issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla engineers discovered that the affected vehicles may not meet certain automatic window reversal system requirements. It said that in some cases, the window may exert more force before automatically retracting when sensing an obstruction such as a person’s fingers. The condition “may increase the risk of a pinching injury to the occupant,” the NHTSA’s document says.