Aston Martin's tendency to use only the letters V, D and B in its car names leaves it pretty limited. Nevertheless, according to reports, the British marque is set to ditch the reasonable sounding DBX nameplate for its upcoming SUV debut, instead opting for Varekai.
It sounds bizarre, it but it's actually quite an imaginative name, derived from the Roma word for 'wherever', which is appropriate for an off-roader. But it does it leave people a little 'whatever', or even worse sound like a dicey medical complaint?
Gallery: 2015 Aston Martin DBX concept
According to another venerable British brand, Autocar, Aston Martin has trademarked the name, which would join a long list of 'V' names such as the Vantage, Vanquish, and more recently the Vulcan and the Valkyrie.
CEO Andy Palmer reportedly insisted on the project going ahead, ordering it to begin on just his fourth day working for the company. 'When you are talking about running a company like Aston Martin, you talk through your ideas with the owners before you are hired,' Palmer said. 'My message was simple: if Aston Martin wants to survive, it must do an SUV.'
Aston Martin going into the SUV market isn't as unusual as it may seem, following a similar lead from Porsche, Bentley, Maserati, Lamborgini, Rolls-Royce and even Ferrari.
It's not just the name of the upcoming SUV that's been changed since the concept (above) was unveiled three years ago. While that was strictly an electric car, the production model is set to come with a range of powertrain options. Mercedes-AMG-sourced V8s and V12s will likely be on the menu, as with other cars in Aston Martin's product lineup.
A hybrid system that will be used in the recently unveiled AMG GT 4-Door Coupe could also be utilised. The production Aston Martin SUV will also be a four-door model as opposed to the two-door coupe profile of the concept.