Aston Martin->ke13 will require a huge cash investment in order to give its vehicle lineup and architectures a much-needed overhaul. But even at the expense of some profits, the British sports-car marker appears to have no desire to chase volume. In an interview with AutoGuide recently, Julian Jenkins, president of Aston Martin’s American operations, said that while the automaker is looking to expand to new segments, it won’t do so at the expense of the brand’s image and exclusivity. In short, don’t expect any cars to slot in beneath the 2015 Vantage GT with its $99,000 price tag.
Jenkins said that rare sports cars will continue to be the main focus of Aston Martin, and the brand could be looking to go even further upmarket to accomplish this. Aston Martin has already unveiled the Lagonda Taraf sedan, which will be limited to exclusive customers in the Middle East, but the brand is also looking to grow in Mexico, South America and Asia.
One thing that wasn’t discussed, however, was the potential SUV->ke145 that has been mentioned frequently in recent years, as Bentley->ke15, Lamborghini->ke44 and other low-volume performance/luxury brands consider building one. Jenkins left the open the possibility of a new Aston Martin SUV, or perhaps some other type of vehicle, by saying: “if there is a segment, if there is an opportunity that we can sit comfortably within we will go after it.”
Click past the jump to read more about what Aston Martin wants in its lineup.
Why it matters
As easy as it might be for Aston Martin to develop smaller, more-affordable sports cars to increase sales and profits, such a move would surely dilute the brand’s reputation as a maker of rare and exquisite sports cars. Jenkins’ words are a good sign of where Aston Martin is going as a brand, especially with regards to its oft-rumored SUV.