MOTORING NEWS - Aston Martin has confirmed that its first SUV will enter production in late 2019 at its new St Athan plant in Wales in the UK. However, the British car manufacturer hasn't yet released any details or specifications for the upcoming model.
British media has speculated that Aston Martin's debut SUV, based on the DBX concept which was presented in 2015 at Pebble Beach, California, could be called the Varekai.
The gasoline version is expected to get the firm's V12 engine, but Aston Martin may be aiming to power up the world's most powerful SUV further, outstripping the 484kW Lamborghini Urus, thanks to a hybrid powertrain.
For that, the manufacturer will apparently consider using a Mercedes-AMG four-litre V8 twin-turbo engine matched with an electric motor of around 149kW, which combined would come close to 521kW.
Competition is increasingly fierce at the high end of the SUV market. Aston Martin will be going up against the Bentley Bentayga, the Lamborghini Urus and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Ferrari also has its first SUV in the works.
Apparently that is not all: Aston Martin has another SUV in the pipeline for its premium Lagonda brand, due 2021 at the earliest. It is based on the Lagonda Vision Concept, a semi-autonomous vehicle that was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
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