A hell of a lot rides on the new Aston Martin DBX, the first model to be built in the British manufacturer’s new St. Athan plant in Wales. Aston Martin’s precarious financial situation is no secret, nor its belief that the new £158,000 super-SUV is the key to changing its fortunes. Why else do you think the DBX was revealed in China, the world’s biggest automotive market and a country in which Aston clearly hopes its Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus rival will excel?
It didn’t take much imagination to picture what the production Aston Martin DBX would look like given we’ve seen several camouflaged prototypes and numerous teaser images. But the final product is nonetheless interesting – not as conventionally beautiful as its maker’s ground-hugging sports cars but a well-resolved design that blends signature (and sporting) Aston design cues, such as the straked side intakes and pronounced duck-tail spoiler, with a soft and feminine overall shape. Is it prettier than a Bentley Bentayga? Absolutely. Is it so wildly beautiful to make you look straight past a Cayenne? Probably not.
Beneath the body there’s a brand-new bonded aluminium chassis harnessing a potent 542bhp version of the AMG V8 from the DB11 and V8 Vantage. At 2,245kg, it’s a hefty beast by Aston Martin’s standards but not overly portly compared to its rivals. Drive is sent to the wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox and a clever four-wheel-drive system that can send all 516lbs ft of torque to the rear wheels if so desired. As you’d expect from an Aston Martin, the DBX is no slouch – the sprint from 0–62mph takes a scant 4.5sec and it’ll do 181mph flat-out. There are, of course, ‘Terrain’ modes that raise the air suspension by up to 45mm, but let’s face it, for most DBX owners a leafy B-road is about as tough as the going will get.
The interior, which we’ve already taken a closer look at here, looks to be a fantastic place to sit and Aston will offer a plethora of different accessory packs including a Snow Pack for skiing and a Pet Pack for bestowing British luxury on your beloved canine friends. Despite the crowded segment in which the DBX is launching, we think Aston’s first SUV looks like a superb proposition and an encouraging early sign of the marque’s potentially more prosperous future. Here’s hoping they can shift the 5,000 cars St. Athan is reportedly geared up to produce.
Photos: Aston Martin
