Aston Martin has launched the new-gen model of its most affordable offering, the Vantage, in India. Priced at Rs 2.95 crore (ex-showroom pan-India), it rivals the likes of the Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG GT S and the Audi R8.
The new Vantage is a major step forward from its predecessor as far as design is concerned. It borrows design cues from other modern Aston Martins like the DB11 and the Vulcan. The signature front grill is huge and dominates the front fascia (like the Vulcan), while the small headlamps (like the DB11) give the grand tourer a mean look. The rear of the new Vantage looks sharp, thanks to those sleek connected taillamps. This setup resembles the one seen on the Fisker EMotion, which made its debut earlier this year at the CES 2018.
It’s not only the design elements that the Vantage shares with the DB11 but it’s also underpinned by the same aluminium platform. However, the carmaker says that 70 per cent of the structural components are new for the Vantage.
The similarities with the DB11 are carried forward inside the cabin as well. Like the former, it also features a touchscreen infotainment system (8-inch) sitting at the top of the central console. The side AC vents are tilted and placed in a separate housing. Other features include a dual-zone climate control, keyless start/stop, navigation in the infotainment screen, tyre pressure monitoring system, parking distance display, park assist and front and rear parking sensors.
Under the hood, the new Vantage gets the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine that powers the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT. However, here it makes 510PS and 685Nm, which is 75PS/15Nm less than the AMG GT R (585PS/700Nm). The GT S, on the other hand, generates 522PS/670Nm. This twin-turbo engine with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission can take the Vantage to 100kmph from standstill in 3.6 seconds, before maxing out at 314kmph. In order to tame this beast and offer better control to the driver, Aston has equipped the car with electronic aids like Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Torque Vectoring and electronic rear differential.
Aston Martin has started accepting booking for the new Vantage and the deliveries are expected to get underway in the next four months.
