► Lagonda Vision Concept
► It’s an ultra-luxurious BEV
► Tipped for 2021 production
It’s not all about racing pedigree at Aston Martin at the moment. While the Valkyrie and Vantage GT3 are seriously exciting race cars, the company’s uber-luxurious future has also been on show at the 2018 Geneva motor show.
This is the new Lagonda Vision Concept, a car set to ‘represent the next generation of automotive luxury’ according to Aston Martin’s CEO Andy Palmer.
And it’s not some showy V12 hypersaloon, either. Instead, Lagonda has revealed the Vision Concept claiming to be the world’s first ever 100% battery electric luxury car brand.
The car’s profile is almost coupe-like, with a low front end, shallow glasshouse and pinched rear. The doors open suicide-style, like Rolls-Royce’s coach doors, with the rear opening the opposite way. Parts of the roof even tilt upwards, so passengers can climb in without having to tilt their heads.
While it’s unlikely the production will look exactly like it, if it retains the core themes, it’ll certainly be a striking car to spearhead the brand’s all-electric future.
‘The Lagonda Vision Concept is an incredibly bold design statement,’ Aston’s Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, said, adding ‘while Aston Martin design language can be seen as organic and natural, that of Lagonda is more sculptural, shocking and challenging.’
What about the interior?
A smashing together of old and new materials, for a start. Reichman looked to English furniture designer David Linley to help shape the Vision Concept’s cockpit. Carbonfibre trim is paired with ceramic tiling, for example, while silk and cashmere carpets contrast with the hand-woven wool seats.
Hexagons are the order of the day, too. The steering wheel is a complex, six-sided affair with a screen inside, there’s an ornate gold sculpture between the rear seats and there’s even a hexagonal graphic in the lighting structure built into the roof.
Sounds fancy, did you mention a steering wheel?
We did indeed. The Vision Concept is equipped with Level 4 autonomous technology (find out what that means here), but the wheel was kept for those who still want to drive.
‘We imagine most Lagonda customers choose to be driven. If they want to drive themselves, the car will ensure that is a delightful and memorable experience, too – Lagonda will provide that choice,’ said Aston CEO, Andy Palmer.
A feature that’s unlikely to make it to production is the ability for the steering wheel to move across to different sides of the vehicle, or just hide itself away altogether. It depends how in control you want to be/feel.
The seats will also swivel around, turning your uber-luxurious electric car into a very fancy living room on wheels.
Any other tech specs?
The Vision Concept uses a pack of solid state batteries for power, built into the floorpan. There’s a claim of around 400 miles worth of ‘real world’ driving range and wireless charging zaps the batteries to full in just 15 minutes.
So will this remain a concept, then?
Aston and Lagonda hope not. It wants to put the Vision Concept into production in 2021, hoping that it will become the starting gun for a whole fleet of new Lagonda models. A coupe and an SUV are planned for 2023, and it’s expected to be produced here in the UK.
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