Under Aston Martin ownership since 1947, Lagonda stopped making production cars in 1990, with a handful of models unveiled after the Aston Martin Lagonda sedan was discontinued. Rumored to make a comeback in the late 2000s, Lagonda finally returned to the market in 2014, when the limited-edition Taraf sedan was introduced. Four years have passed, since and Lagonda has now unveiled the Vision Concept at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

A futuristic vehicle with a sleek, shooting brake-like design, the Vision Concept sports a luxurious, four-seat interior that's ready to give Rolls-Royce and Bentley products a run for their money. Like many modern concepts, it also has autonomous drive and uses a zero-emission drivetrain. More importantly, Lagonda says that the Vision Concept previews a production model that's scheduled to hit the assembly line in 2021. The upcoming model will have an SUV body style and will borrow styling features from the Geneva show car. Until Lagonda gives us more info on the production model, let's have a closer look at this intriguing concept vehicle.

Continue reading to learn more about the Lagonda Vision Concept.

2018 Lagonda Vision Concept

Specifications
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  • Model: 2018 Lagonda Vision Concept
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Pros
Cons

Lagonda Vision Concept Exterior

- Bold, aggressive design - Short front hood - Big front grille - Slender lights front and rear - Muscular profile - Shooting brake rear end - Unusually low cabin - Previews production SUV

When it unveiled the Vision concept at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, Lagonda said that it previews "the design language that could potentially be seen in production Lagonda models as soon as 2021." Just weeks later the British firm confirmed that a production model will follow. However, while it will borrow some styling cues, the production car will have an SUV body style. The Vision concept is definitely something else, sporting shooting brake-like shape with a short front hood and a long wheelbase.

It's bold, aggressive and sleek, and it looks as if Lagonda spend a lot of time in the wind tunnel with this vehicle. It's also completely unrelated to existing Aston Martin designs, which is a good thing.

The front end design is far from typical for a vehicle that doesn't have a mid-ship layout. Sure, Lagonda explains that the lack of a conventional engine and transmission resulted in a shorter nose, but this is rarely the case with production electric cars, which have traditional, longer hoods in front of the windscreen. This feature alone makes the Vision concept stand out, especially when paired with the massive grille and the really slim headlamps. The LED daytime running lights made of tiny lights arranged in a triangular layout add to the unique look, as to the splitter mounted on the sides of the bumper.

The windscreen is atypical too, as the slope begins from the B-pillar and end just a few inches from the nose. The A-pillars are really steep, which makes the car look weird and intriguing at the same time.

When seen from the sides, the Vision concept looks really sleek and surprisingly long given its actual size. This is mainly because the wheelbase is very long compared to the overhangs, while the roof sits lower than usual. The glasshouse is flat from front to rear, while the beltline remains high. The side features are quite muscular, starting with the sculpted front fenders and ending with the rear haunches, which are wider than the area around the front doors. The lower section includes a massive vent in the front door, following by a big dent that disappears abruptly toward the rear wheel.

Speaking of the wheels, the rims have an exotic and intricate design. There's a complet multi-spoke rim on the outside, with some sort of cap with really thin stripes is mounted behind that. Not surprisingly for a concept car, the side mirrors were replaced with small cameras.

The rear fascia is a big departure from the rest of the car. While the front section is really aggressive and packed with aerodynamic elements, the rear is almost featureless. The pointy deck lid makes the vehicle stand out among other concept cars, but the fascia itself and the bumper are as clean as they get. Taillights? Well, it's just a tiny stripe above the "Lagonda" lettering. The bumper features a strange opening with two small devices that look like concealed machined guns from a James Bond car. Given that the concept is electric, they're probably some sort of cameras or sensors.

Lagonda Vision Concept Interior

- Four-seat layout - Carbon-fiber trim - Ceramic features - Wool upholstery - Silk carpets - 180-degree front seats

The interior of the Vision concept is equally spectacular. Although the car itself doesn't look big, the cabin looks roomier than a full-size sedan. Both the rear passengers can stretch their legs without hitting the front seats, while the driver wouldn't even reach the pedals if the concept actually had any. So how did Lagonda manage to obtain this much space?

Well, the lack of a conventional engine and gearbox helps a lot, but this where the short front hood also makes a big difference. Just look at how the dashboard is mounted well behind the bottom of the A-pillar. Lagonda also says that its designers created the interior first and built the exterior around it.

The layout is pretty simple and straightforward, but everything looks nice and comfortable. Only top-notch materials were used, including carbon-fiber, ceramics, cashmere, and silk. The upholstery is made from hand-woven wool, while the carpets are from soft silk. Even Rolls-Royce owners must be drooling at this kind of stuff.

The carbon-fiber isn't very visible, but ceramics are all over the place, including in functional tiles that open and close to alter the ventilation and to adjust the volume of the sound system. The seats look like armchairs and have heavily bolstered arms and wide headrests. The driver side rear seat is placed farther back in the cabin and features an extension for the feet. The front seats are not mounted on conventional runners, but instead sit on cantilevered arms extending from the floor outside the seat frame, which provides a completely uncluttered floor area

Ingress and egress are also easier thanks to the rear-hinged rear doors having roof sections that open upwards. This feature allows the occupants to literally stand up inside and walk out of the car, or step straight into it. Pretty cool!

Lagonda Vision Concept Drivetrain

- Electric drivetrain - 400-mile range - Autonomous drive

Lagonda claims that the Vision concept was designed with an innovative electric drivetrain, but it doesn't offer too many details. All we know so far is that the vehicle gets its juice from "powerful solid state electric batteries" that enable it to run for 400 (real world) miles per charge, which converts to around 643 km. That’s the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco, London to Edinburgh, or Berlin to Vienna without stopping, which is as impressive as it gets. The concept has also has been designed to be compatible with the latest wireless conductive charging technology, but again, Lagonda did not release any specific information.

The concept also features a level four autonomous driving system, which means that the Vision is capable of driving itself on all recognizable roads. When set in autonomous mode, the steering wheel can retract entirely into the dashboard, while the front seats can rotate through 180 degrees, allowing the front passenger to interact with those in the back. This isn't a new concept, but everything seems way cooler in this lounge-style cabin.

Conclusion

I must admit I'm really impressed with the Lagonda Vision. It has everything a modern concept car needs. It's sleek and futurist on the outside, while the cabin is a comfortable lounge. Sure, I'm not exactly thrilled about our autonomous future, but I wouldn't mind riding in such an interior in a few years. On the other hand, it's not yet clear how much of this interior will make it into production, and the same applies for the aggressive exterior design. The fact that the production model will be an SUV makes things even more complicated, so all we can do is wait for more details to surface. But if Lagonda manages to put at least 50-percent of these features into production, Rolls-Royce and Bentley will be getting some real competition.

References

Aston Martin Just Put Bentley and Rolls-Royce of the Future in Check with the Lagonda Vision Concept

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 Aston Martin Lagonda SUV.

Read more Geneva Motor Show news.

Read more Aston Martin news.