Despite rumors indicating that Aston Martin had axed plans to build its Lagonda SUV concept and instead go with a Rapide-based sedan, the British automaker appears ready to move ahead with its original product rollout.

At a lecture yesterday in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Aston CEO Ulrich Bez confirmed that the Lagonda will be a four-wheel drive SUV. Bez even went so far as to say that the production model is “almost complete” and that the company should have more official info to offer by the end of the year.

While the decision to move ahead in the SUV segment seems foolish, it meshes well with Aston’s plan to push ahead of emerging markets like China, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, where a 4WD truck makes more sense. The decision may actually prove fortuitous as SUV sales are once again on the rise in North America.

GALLERY: Aston Martin Lagonda Concept

[Source: Autoblog.nl]

With the release of a new selection of photos of its much-maligned Lagonda Concept, Aston Martin seems to be re-testing the waters to see if there is interest in a luxury SUV, marketed under the slightly more affordable Lagonda brand. The vehicle was first shown at the Geneva Auto Show last March and was not well received.

With the recession now on its way out and a new era of lavish spending around the corner (Aston hopes), it has decided to revisit the concept once again to see if moods have changed. No doubt, some will now be more favorable and we can certainly see there being some demand for the Mercedes GL-based SUV. But will such limited demand be enough?

According to a report on egmCarTech, Aston’s design team has been tasked with creating another concept to debut at an upcoming auto show. Perhaps this time we’ll get some sort of 5 Series GT sportback concept aimed at an expanding market segment, rather than an SUV in a segment that continues to shrink.

Aston Martin has said it intends to bring a production Lagonda model to market by 2012.

GALLERY: Aston Martin Lagonda Concept

[Source: eGMCarTech]