Aston Martin revives Lagonda to questionable effect

Comebacks are a tough racket, so when Aston Martin announced plans to revive the Lagonda nameplate, we tempered our high hopes with a fair amount of skepticism. Perhaps that's a good thing. These first images of the Lagonda caused a collective sigh from the Autoblog crew here in Geneva, perhaps largely because it takes the form of a crossover – something we weren't really expecting (and something we don't typically associate with either Lagonda or Aston).

The Lagonda's return marks the 100th anniversary of the brand, best known for stately sedans and luxurious grand-tourers. Aston wanted an outlet to expand beyond sports cars and GTs (pay no attention to the Rapide in the corner), and the Lagonda's designers took that mandate and ran with it – some might say into a bluff-faced wall.

At its core, the Lagonda Concept is an avant-garde approach to the crossover we've come to know in seemingly thousands of variations. The front grille and swage lines are an obvious nod to modern Astons, but its near vertical nose, stretched headlamps and bulbous backside attempts to convey a mix of luxury and masculinity. The rear end strikes us as very Bentley, but considering the Lagonda's intended audience, that might not be a bad thing. All four 22-inch wheels are powered by a V12 powerplant of undisclosed displacement and output, and Aston envisions the Lagonda as a long-distance cruiser that offers its occupants a lavish, functional and tech-rich environment.

Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulirch Bez wants to see the Lagona sold in more than 100 countries (versus the 32 A-M is currently offered in), with a focus on emerging markets in the Middle East, South America, China, India and Russia. While we have no problem envisioning the Lagonda rolling down the streets of Moscow, we're not sure that its reception will be as warm in Europe and North America. But then again, there's not much playing in this space, and that's the nature of comebacks.


UPDATE: We've just come back from Aston's show stand, and in person, the Lagonda Concept actually has a number of things going for it. There's no denying it is a massive, jarring vehicle – particularly in the context of the achingly beautiful Aston Martins that surround it, and it wasn't helpful that the tight display space served to over-emphasize its size, but the concept still has merit and looks decidedly production-friendly.

The commanding front end with its gaping grille isn't a thing of beauty, but it has presence and some nice detailing around the light fixtures, and it helps send an appropriate "Move Left, Captain of Industry Coming Through" message as seen through British rearview mirrors. The rear end is more interesting, with a formal roofline and mailslot rear window which the company asserts maintains a stylistic link to past Lagondas. In that spirit, the bustle-back rump looks like it could almost sprout a dickey seat or house a steamer trunk.

The interior is the most impressive thing about this vehicle, with luxurious perches for two occupants in the rear done up in white leather - a contrasting color to the driver's quarters, which is done in dark brown leather, a move to visually reinforce the separation of master from servant, as it were. The door panels are also particularly nice, with simple, robust lines and fixtures.

On the whole, the Lagonda would be hard to call "artful," and as a whole, the exterior looks faintly derivative. However, given the emerging markets that the company is pursuing with this concept – as well as the vacuum in this space for an ultra-premium vehicle of this bodystyle and rough-rough capability – we can see this working out... if global markets recover.

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