He’s already hinted that a future Aston Martin SUV may ride on a Mercedes-Benz platform, and now the historic British automaker’s CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez, has revealed that the recent deal between Aston Martin and Mercedes performance arm AMG may lead to platform sharing. In July, Aston Martin entered an alliance deal with AMG that would provide the British automaker with access to engines and electronic architectures in return for 5.0 percent of its shares.

Speaking with Autocar, Bez has since revealed that the deal opens up much more possibilities, including the sharing of platforms.

“There is a potential to see how far it goes,” Bez said, referring to possible platform sharing. “I look at what Porsche is doing with the 911 as its core business and then it is able to do models like the Cayenne based on the Volkswagen Touareg. It is good business.”

Bez first sought Mercedes’ help back in 2009 when Aston Martin rolled out the Lagonda SUV concept based on a Mercedes GL-Class. With an alliance between the two automakers now in place, Aston Martin is once again considering launching an SUV. This time around, Aston Martin is likely to use the Lagonda name for its SUV instead of for a whole brand of vehicles. This means the new SUV is likely to be called an Aston Martin Lagonda.

Autocar reports that the new Lagonda SUV would be launched around 2017, about when Bentley and Lamborghini plan high-end SUVs of their own. The Lagonda would be based on the next-generation of the Mercedes M-Class, making it sportier than the 2009 GL-based concept, and the exterior design would be extensively reworked so that vehicle fits in with the rest of the Aston Martin lineup.

As for a potential powerplant, Bez said that the company’s 6.0-liter V-12 is still viable. He said that the engine, which is unique to Aston Martin though built by Ford, has at least 10 more years of shelf life. Aston Martin’s current V-8, however, will be replaced in the coming years by an AMG-sourced unit.

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