News: Aston Martin announces it will build the DBX crossover

ASTON MARTIN has announced that it has secured a £200m investment that will allow it to develop the DBX luxury crossover concept into a production model.

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Revealed at the Geneva motor show in March, the DBX was billed as a “luxury GT crossover” and appeared to fuse the sleek profile of a coupé sports car with the raised ride height of an SUV. It got a lukewarm reaction: for instance, Ian Callum, former head of design for Aston Martin and now in charge of Jaguar’s design department, told Driving it “looked like a rush job”.

Andy Palmer, chief executive of Aston Martin Lagonda, said the funding would pay for extra model lines and broaden the British sports car maker’s presence in the market by the end of the decade. His ambition is to offer more choice, with a line-up including sports cars, saloons and SUVs.

“The DBX concept has generated interest far beyond our expectations,” Palmer said. “The additional investment will allow us to realise the DBX and other new luxury vehicles.”

The DBX, which is expected to go on sale in 2019, is designed to tackle the thorny question of what women want from a luxury car. The company has openly admitted it needs to attract more women and younger customers.

Before then, Aston Martin is to develop replacements for ageing models including the DB9 and Vantage sports cars – which are expected to be launched next year – as well as a new Lagonda luxury saloon.

Also read: Take off two wheels and I could set a TT lap record in it — Guy Martin reviews the Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Edition