Aston Martin Closes in on Location for Crossover Factory

CEO Andy Palmer says Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. will decide in July-September whether to build its upcoming DBX luxury crossover vehicle in the U.K. or U.S. The vehicle is expected to go on sale in 2019.

The company's current car manufacturing site in Gaydon, England, cannot be expanded, according to Palmer. Last month he described the state of Alabama in the U.S. as an "obvious choice" for a new factory. But he also notes several other countries and U.S. states have expressed interest in hosting the facility.

The crossover is a vital addition to the company's lineup of high-performance sports cars. Palmer has said Aston Martin needs a more mainstream product to achieve his goal of hiking annual sales from 4,000 last year to 15,000 units by about the end of the decade.