Palmer notes the family-friendliness of the DBX model (a bonus for men too), which can accommodate four adults and has room for luggage or whatever else wealthy people stick in their trunks. "The DBX Concept is a challenge to the existing status quo in the high luxury GT segment," he said in a news release. "It envisages a world, perhaps a world not too far away, when luxury GT travel is not only stylish and luxurious but also more practical, more family-friendly and more environmentally responsible."
"Awesome!" you might think. "Sign Charlotte up!" Alas, not so fast. This new model is still only a concept—a nice little idea for the ladies. And while women with a lot of money sitting around could certainly go out and buy another Aston Martin model, it wouldn't have the same features. There's also plenty of competition. As the WSJ notes, other fancy car companies are also trying to appeal to women:
Porsche AG hired tennis player Maria Sharapova in 2013 as its so-called brand ambassador, while pop singer Victoria Beckham helped design a Range Rover model. More spacious models like Aston Martin's DBX or Porsche's Cayenne sport-utility vehicle are also meant to give the brands broader appeal. "SUVs are seen as family vehicles because of the space, utility and perception of safety," said IHS automotive analyst Ian Fletcher. "This might add more women to their customer base."
In an interview with the Financial Times, Palmer, who came from Nissan, said, "Without being patronizing about it, women today control variously around the world between 60 to 80 percent of the buy decision on a new car." He added: "As an industry, we're pretty poor at ticking the boxes that satisfy a woman customer...and we tend to view cars for women as 'pink it and shrink it'—add a place to hold your handbag, add a place to put your shoes—which I think is quite cynical."
Make no mistake, the new focus on women isn't aimed at all women. "I think there's a very good living to be made representing [the] top 1 percent," said Palmer. "If you try to dip into the rest, you essentially alienate yourself from that 1 percent." Hey, it's no fun having a $200,000 car if everyone else on the P.T.A. also has one too! Anyway, fear not: Aston Martins won't be clogging the lanes at school drop-offs any time soon.
