Lagonda Vision Concept: Geneva 2018
Aston Martin has finally relaunched Lagonda. The Vision? Radical, autonomous, luxury and electric
The carriage for this venerable marque? The Lagonda Vision Concept; a sweeping, daring and not precisely pretty show car which points to its standalone electric future. The aim? To compete with Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the luxury four-door, four-seat market - but in a forward-thinking way that has nothing to do with internal combustion or even an old-world notion of grandeur.
It's obviously early days, but expect the architecture underpinning both models to be all-new - though likely based on the same bonded and riveted aluminium technology that Aston has made its own. For the powertrain and batteries, Aston will partner with an as yet unnamed Silicon Valley-based firm. (Place your bets on that one.) Expect the Lagonda to be powered in familiar style though - i.e. two electric motors driving all four wheels - with a range of 400 miles among the objectives.
An additional target is a full wireless recharge time of 15 minutes - an ambition which will almost certainly require solid-state batteries. Gaydon is also adamant that a production Lagonda would be built with the highest available level of autonomous driving baked in - meaning it will be a luxury car to sit in rather than drive.
The real sea change, though, is said to have occurred in the cabin, which was reputedly designed first (before having a body wrapped round it). The Lagonda's five-and-a-half metre length ought to mean exemplary legroom anyway but, with the wheelbase maximised by the EV-only configuration, Aston claims more legroom than you'd enjoy in an extended wheelbase Rolls-Royce Phantom.
When the razzmatazz of Geneva fades there will be many other questions to answer - some of them difficult and vexing, many of them about numbers and positioning and viability - but for now Aston is content for Lagonda to be back on the map. And with it pointing in the most audacious direction.
It looks modern and retro at the same time....clever cues to the old 80's/90's model.
Me likey.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff