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Aston Martin to make new DBX crossover in Wales
St Athan celebrates after luxury label announces new car plant with the creation of 750 jobs
Aston Martin's is to put its DBX car into production at a new car plant in St Athan, South Wales, creating 750 jobs and possibly up to 3,000 more across the supply chain and local businesses.
The SUV crossover, which was revealed as a concept car at last year's Geneva Motor Show, will be handmade in a £113m super-hangar "which was supposed to deliver hundreds of aircraft repair jobs", says the BBC. Work to transform the site into a factory will commence next year, with full production of the new vehicle beginning in 2020.
St Athan beat off 20 different locations around the world. "We were consistently impressed with the focus on quality, cost and speed from the Welsh government team," said with Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer.
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Aston Martin has also reaffirmed its commitment to its existing Gaydon factory in Warwickshire, where an all-electric version of the Rapide will go into production in 2018, creating 250 more jobs.
It's all part of the luxury label's "second century plan" to expand its product portfolio to include cars for a new type of customer while taking advantage of the UK motor industry's rude health and progressively expanding its sports-car manufacturing to a maximum output of 7,000 units a year.
But it is the DBX that Aston Martin is hailing as its big seller and the company expects 90 per cent of them to be exported to markets such as the US and China.
The new car will latch itself onto the super-luxury SUV market that is beginning to open up among sports-car manufacturers clambering to widen their scope from just supercars. It will go up against the likes of the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne, with a price tag thought to be around £160,000.
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Last year's concept version was described as the "family friendly" Aston aimed at a younger market. It uses electric inboard-of-wheel motors and the company is likely to introduce an electric powertrain, offsetting the emissions of its range of sports cars.
The thought of an electric Aston Martin SUV crossover may not be a pleasant one for purists, but Auto Express says the DBX is "striking" and a "modern take on the traditional Aston styling elements". The magazine believes it will be offered as a four door and with traditional powertrain options, too.
