After Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce, now British marque, Aston Martin, is all set to the join the list of luxury car brands that we thought will never make an SUV. Set to be based on the DBX concept, we have only China to thank for the upcoming Aston Martin SUV. Speaking to Wards Auto, Andy Palmer, President and CEO of Aston Martin said, "The DBX SUV exists because of the booming China market." He even added that if there was no demand from China, then Aston Martin probably wouldn't have done an SUV at all.
China has now become one of the largest markets for luxury car markets in the world and manufacturers have now started working on models specific to the Chinese market, and the 2018 Beijing Auto Show was a clear example. The Auto Show witnessed some of the huge debuts like - Mercedes A-Class L Sedan, BMW M2 Competition, Lexus ES, among others. In fact, early this year even Audi launch the extended-wheelbase Q5 LWB exclusively for the Chinese markets, so, clearly, Aston Martin is no exception to this.
Back at the Beijing Motor Show, Palmer had even said that "China is important for our future because we are booming here." Considering the level of importance Aston Martin gives to customisation of its vehicles for its customer, the carmaker has also announced a partnership with The College of Design and Innovation at Shanghai's Tongji University. The JV will work on helping Aston Martin to create the ideal colour palette for the Chinese consumers, who, Palmer says, prefer more vibrant hues compared to other markets.
Aston Martin is planning to launch the DBX SUV in late 2019 and expects one-third of its global sales to come from the Chinese market. By then, the company also plans to expand its dealership network in the country. Other markets will possibly get it in early 2020.
Source: WardsAuto
