Aston Martin Says It Won’t Revive The Rapide Because “Sedans Don’t Sell”
So is this officially the death of the sedan or will other brands keep fighting?
So for some time now, we have seen the SUV body type overtake the humble sedan which was the most popular body type for the past 50 or so years up until recently and with this, came the rise of the crossover. However, British luxury carmaker, Aston Martin, seems to think sedans are completely obsolete now. Let’s explore.
So not too long ago, Aston Martin reveling in the success of its new releases such as the DBX crossover and the recently launched DB12 coupe, was asked if it would consider reviving the Rapide sedan next but the brand’s answer was not only shocking, it was downright saddening.
Moreover, Aston Martin has no intent to bring back the Rapide or build any new sedans, for that matter as the brand cites sedans at all price points continuing to lag in popularity behind crossovers and while this does make sense financially, as an enthusiast, this news can be hard to hear.
The company’s head of product and marketing strategy, Alex Long, told CarSales.com.au that Aston Martin is setting “lofty objectives” to become “the world’s most desirable, ultra-luxury British performance brand.” Apparently, sedans are not included in these plans.
On top of that, Aston Martin is rumoured to unveil its five-year plan on 27 June 2023 so perhaps we may know more then. According to the company chairman, Lawrence Stroll has also announced that the brand is also on track to release a new electric vehicle (EV) in 2026.
While Aston Martin has no plans to abandon the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle anytime soon, the brand is sure to work on some hybrid models in the near future while nameplates like the Vantage, DBS and DB12 show that the brand will still make ICE cars.
Interestingly, Aston Martin ended production of the Rapide sedan in the same year that it began production of the DBX crossover, 2020. The DBX soon became the brand’s best-selling model and this has served the brand well, so it is not surprising that the brand has decided to abandon sedans. It is still sad though.
We got all this from Motor 1 and their full article is linked here. Thank you Motor 1 for the information and images.
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