The Aston Martin DBX has officially been revealed. It is a make or break model for Aston Martin. The company has taken a punt on the SUV market, seeing the success it has brought rivals Lamborghini, Bentley and Rolls Royce. Will it work?
Design
The design had been well known prior to today’s release. Aston Martin had heavily published a wide variety of teaser images and prototype stories.
The DBX gets the same signature DB grille as the rest of the DB range. It is much bigger and more upright than Aston Martin’s sports cars. The design lines are signature Aston Martin too, with long lines running uninterrupted from front to back. The front wheel arch vents include long chrome finishers which only accentuate the length of the design lines.
One of our favourite design touches is the incorporatation of the ‘duck-tail’ type bootlid spoiler at the rear. It looks as though it is lifted direct from the Vantage.
Small design touches please the eye, such as the hidden side glass seals on the frameless doors and the glass B-pillar finishers. Cutaway side sills also help to disguise the bulk of the 5-seater SUV. The daytime running lights (DRLs) have an integrated aerodynamic duct which channels air into the wheel arch to aid brake cooling.
Power and Chassis
The power comes through a Mercedes-AMG sourced 4.0 litre V8 power plant. It produces 550 hp in the DBX with 700 Nm of torque. This makes it more powerful than the Vantage (which also uses the same engine). The power helps move the SUV to 100 km/h in an impressive 4.5 seconds. Top speed is 291 kph.
The power is routed, via a nine-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox, to all four wheels. The DBX uses an active central differential and an electronic rear limited slip differential (eDiff) to shift the torque for maximum traction.
Aston Martin has developed a new platform for the DBX. It uses a bonded aluminium structure, similar to Aston Martin’s sports cars, to keep weight down. Despite this, the DBX tips the scales at a hefty 2,245kg.
At the business end of things, the DBX benefits from adaptive triple volume air suspension, a 48v electric anti-roll control system (eARC) and electronic adaptive dampers. Aston Martin claims that this makes its SUV incredibly versatile. For example, it is possibly to raise the ride height by 45mm or lower it by 50mm.
Interior
Inside, things are just as interesting. Practicality is assures with 632 litres of boot space and a 40:20:40 split folding rear seat. It swallows suitcases, golf bags and ski equipment. There is plenty of light too with a full-length glass panoramic roof and frameless door glass as standard.
The interior is trimmed using Bridge of Weir full grain leather. Both the headlining and the electric roof blind are available in Alcantara. Metal, glass and wood are used extensively throughout the cabin. Customers will be able to make custom choices for interior materials through the Q by Aston Martin service.
In terms of design, Aston Martin has opted for something completely new with a bridged centre console. This allows maximum storage underneath. A 10.25 inch TFT screen sits flush in the centre console, while a huge 12.3 inch TFT screen provides driver information. Apple CarPlay comes as standard, as does a 360-degree camera system and ambient lighting that offers 64 different colours in two zones.
Availability
The first 500 Aston Martin DBX will be produced with a celebratory ‘1913 Package’. Each car will get a unique fender badge, sill plaque and an inspection plaque. Owners will receive a unique build-book signed by both Aston Martin’s CEO and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman and an invitation to a regionally hosted Waldorf Astoria celebration cocktail party.
Pricing has also been announced with a recommended retail price of £158,000 in the UK, €193,500 in Germany and $189,900 in USA.
The DBX is on sale now, with first deliveries scheduled to begin Q2 2020.
Competition
So how does Aston Martin’s package compare with the competition?
To start with its most obvious competitor, the Lamborghini Urus. The Urus is considerably more powerful (by 100 hp), weighs slightly less and costs about the same. The trade-off is in practicality though. The Urus will carry 16 litres less. In our opinion, the Aston Martin looks better, however, looks are highly subjective so you may favour the Italian rival.
Moving to the Bentley Bentayga V8. The Bentayga is more than £30,000 cheaper with the same power, more weight and less performance. The DBX also has to compete with the options such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, the Range Rover SVAutobiography and (to a lesser extent) the Maserati Levante Trofeo.
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