British supercar and luxury carmaker, Aston Martin, is looking at growing its presence in India.
According to Gautam Dutta, Brand Manager- Sales, Aston Martin Delhi, DBX, which was the first official launch here in January 2021, had received an 'overwhelming' response with its waiting period now at over seven months.
The management has consequently decided to increase its number of dealerships from just one right now in New Delhi to “upper single digits” during the next 12-24 months. Dutta said the new outlets could even come up in Tier 2 cities whose residents have queued up for DBX.
“The number of ultra high networth individuals is increasing at an exponential level not just in metropolitan but tier two cities as well,” he added. Customers in India have probably “got the taste of the brand” during visits to the US, UK and the Middle East.
The success of DBX has given Aston Martin the confidence to enhance its product offering and it recently launched its flagship, the DB12 Super Tourer, at INR 4.59 crore, ex-showroom. The vehicle was globally unveiled in May this year and while the management is quite confident about its showing in India, they believe DBX will remain the best seller.
DB12’s entry coincides with Aston Martin’s 110th anniversary as well as 75 years of the DB model line. Gregory Adams, Regional President - Asia, Aston Martin, said the arrival of the first model in India has since evolved with clients now enjoying the range from the ultra-luxury DBX & DBX707 SUVs to the vantage sports cars, and now the world’s first super tourer, DB12.
The car is powered by a 4.0L V8 bi-turbo engine sourced from Mercedes-AMG, producing 680 PS of power and 800 Nm of torque. The engine gets paired with an eight speed automatic transmission, which is a first for the DB lineup. It also gets a new suspension system featuring new intelligent adaptive dampers and electronic rear differential.
New Era
DB12's release also coincides with the company's chairman, Lawrence Stroll's Yew Tree Consortium increasing its share by 3.27% to 26.23%. The other shareholders include Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Geelym the Chinese automaker.
Aston Martin expects to boost its cash reserves and margins by releasing next-generation sports vehicles and limited editions in the second half of 2023. The momentum has begun with DB12 which ‘heralds a new era’.
Dutta said Stroll’s vision and focus is now seeing products which are performance and luxury-oriented where DB12 is the starting point for this change. While DBX was the first product to feature an SUV body style, Aston Martin plans to launch its first mid-engine hybrid super cars by 2024-25 in the form of Valhalla. “We see customers are getting younger and prefer a mid-engine supercar,” he added.
Aston Martin also hopes to launch its first battery electric vehicle (BEV) by 2025, for which it has reached a supply arrangement with Lucid Group, the electric vehicle technologies company. Lucid will provide electric vehicle technologies to Aston Martin whose brand-new internal BEV platform will be centred around access to the former’s powertrain and battery technology.
Aston Martin also hopes to access Geely's extensive variety of EV technologies and components as well as its in-depth knowledge of China's market. Mercedes-Benz AG, meanwhile, will continue to provide access to a range of world-class technologies, including powertrain and electric/electronic architectures for current and future generation Aston Martin vehicles. These will include internal combustion engines, hybrid and electric vehicles.
The electrification plan is a cornerstone of Racing.Green. sustainability strategy which will see £2 billion invested in cutting-edge technologies over the next five years while moving from ICE to BEV technology.
Also Read
'India, Not The Biggest S.Asian Market, Yet Jewel In The Crown'