With the Aston Martin crossover now being confirmed for production, it’s appears the luxury SUV, to be dubbed the Varekai, will not be available as a turbodiesel, EV or plug-in hybrid. That’s somewhat of an odd decision considering that the DBX crossover concept (pictured above) was previewed as an EV. According to information sourced from Aston Martin CEO, Andy Palmer, by Autonews Europe, rather than using the Varekai as a platform for new powertrain tech, the brand will focus its EV efforts on the Lagonda brand, which will also feature an SUV.
Palmer said, “My belief for a long time is that diesel’s life is limited. Ultimately it’s dead.” He further mentioned the mass penalties electric engines and their related battery packs carry.
Powertrains for the Varekai are therefore likely to include the brand’s turbocharged V12 from the DB11 and Mercedes-AMG’s 4,0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine from the new Vantage.
When it comes to petrol-only SUVs, Aston Martin won’t be the only manufacturer playing in this rarefied field … the Rolls Royce Cullinan will be available only as a V12.
