From the few articles I have read it seems that the Aston Martin hatch back is not going down very well. I wonder if there is any genuine problem with the idea on a practical level or whether everyone is either directly (if you do it for a living,) or indirectly (because we live in a marketing society,) just applying some kind of brand extension logic that is a learned set of rules rather than a fundamental anthropological response.
Yes it does seem strange that Aston Martin would make a hatchback because they trade on selling the unattainable dream. But this is just a marketing idea. If we were to place this into a more human context it would probably be like someone we know that has a really aspirational ability i.e. a top chef, deciding to go and work in a chain pub. Maybe it was because they fell on hard times and needed the cash? Perhaps it would make us doubt the quality of the best they had to offer i.e. if they are willing to lower themselves then why should we expect greatness from them in anything anymore? But having said this if you put the initial expectations on one side for a minute and think about the realities then it makes you wonder... wouldn't Aston Martin be pretty good at making a hatch back if they put their mind to it. And wouldn't it be good if more people could experience the Aston craft and expertese without having the money to buy a super car. And more to the point where I am coming at this from... wouldn't it be better if they found a way to make money out of a product with a lower environmental impact.
My view is that every brand at some time in the future is going to have to play with the idea of a brand extension that they might at one time have never imagined. Anyhow to cut a long story short I like the little Aston and would be happy to see more experimental designs from companies that show that they know how to loosen up.
