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

By Ronan Glon Published February 6, 2019

Aston Martin Lagonda All-Terrain concept teaser — Image used with permission by copyright holder

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.

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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.

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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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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