Aston Martin, is a car manufacturer that is distinguished by, among other things, timeless design, refinement and luxury. Over the years, the British company has established itself as the most classy, in the sports car sector, which has always had that "right" mix between sport and GT car in its DNA. Now celebrating its 106th year, Aston Martin is starting production of its cars, in its second, brand new factory, with the new DBX, its first SUV.
More than once, Aston Martin has stolen the show when introducing a new model. Whether it's the little Vantage, the DB11, the Rapide or the hypercar, the Valkerie, it's always going to present something impressive.
With the advent of luxury and sport SUVs from all the competition, it was Aston Martin's turn to introduce its own, the DBX. The DBX had been in digital development since 2015, where a concept car was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show that year, with development with prototype vehicles beginning in 2018 and concluding in early 2019. The result ? Impressive.
Design that attracts every look
If nothing else, the DBX is certainly one of the most beautiful, if not the
prettiest, SUV on the market today. The DBX carries the features
design elements, such as the front grille from the models of the series
DB, the air vents on the bonnet from the DBS Superleggera and the rear
from Vantage.
The front is dominated by the DB11-derived grille, which is accompanied by the air intakes on the bonnet, a design element reminiscent of those on the DBS Superleggera, and by the side air intakes at the bottom, which serve to reduce aerodynamic drag and cool the brakes by directing some of the air to the front brakes and the rest of it to the side, surrounded by the daytime running lights.
The DBX's side profile is more reminiscent of a 4-seater coupe than an SUV. The roof, although it looks low, offers the most interior space in its class, according to Aston Martin, while the center section ensures smooth airflow along the length of the car. For aesthetic reasons, the windows on the DBX's doors are frameless and create an almost uniform, continuous image with the center pillar.
Looking at the DBX from the rear, you immediately notice the fact that it looks a lot like the Vantage. And indeed, they do. Aston's designers have managed to perfectly integrate the rear end of the Vantage into the body of the DBX, without sacrificing aerodynamics or aesthetics. The wide dark lower section, along with the twin exhaust tips, lend to the dynamic design of the rear end.
In fact, the design of the rear is so aerodynamically optimised that the air flowing through the air intake opening removes any dirt that tends to collect on the rear glass as it flows along it towards the second rear air intake.
Impressive performance
The dynamic and luxurious side of the DBX is highlighted through its versatile driving character. Its air suspension offers plenty of travel to raise or lower the DBX's ride height, either increasing its height by 4.5cm or decreasing it by 5cm, giving it plenty of room to move over rough terrain (although we know the majority of DBXs will never be driven off-road), or to move at a faster pace on a winding road. Much of both the sport and luxury side of its ride is provided by the electric spring and anti-roll bar system, which varies its stiffness depending on the driving conditions at hand.
The DBX is powered by Mercedes-AMG's 4-litre, V8 twin-turbo engine, which you'll find in the Vantage, as well as the V8 DB11. In the DBX, it produces 550bhp and 700Nm of torque with a 0 to 60 sprint in 4.5 seconds.
The transmission is a 9-speed automatic with torque converter, while in the centre is a lockable differential and an electronically variable rear differential for the best possible distribution of power to the 4 wheels.
The modern "old-school" interior
First of all, there is a contradiction. And modern and "old-school"? Yes. You see, Aston Martin keeps all the good elements of the "old" and combines them with everything new and technologically advanced. And finally, it adds its own touch of innovation.
The DBX saloon is fully upholstered in leather as standard, sourced from Scotland by the company's decades-long supplier, Bridge of Weir Leather Co., one of the world's leading suppliers of leather for automotive use.
The roof has a panoramic sunroof with Alcantara upholstery from the middle of the saloon upwards and is the first car to date to have an Alcantara sunshade.
In addition, the DBX is the first car to feature cotton-blended leather, in grade 80%, which makes it much softer and smoother to the touch, without making it more resistant to wear. In addition, it is the first time a car has been "dressed" in leather, even on the speakers, in order to achieve total uniformity in the interior.
On the technology side, the DBX is equipped with the latest version of Mercedes Benz's infotainment system, with a 10.25″ screen on the centre console for its operation, as well as a 12.3″ screen on the dashboard, which like the rest of the company's models is now fully digital. It also carries the interior mood light system, identical to the Mercedes Benz one, with a choice of 64 colors and 2 lighting zones (upper and lower half of the cabin).
Accessory packages for every need
The ability to meet a wide range of needs for each customer base was a key element for Aston Martin in the DBX. There are extra packages for literally any need. Binding:
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| Roof rails for mounting ski, snowboard, bicycle, etc. |
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| Protectors for mounting inside, in sensitive areas |
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| Protector for luggage compartment and dog pad |
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| Dog pillow by Aston Martin. Not that and that |
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| Bag for the cushion as well as a separate bag for the tailor made saucers |
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| Picnic blanket |
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| Luggage set 6 pieces, especially for DBX |
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| Child seat, made of the same leather as the interior lining |
These are just a small sample of the individual package options offered by Aston Martin.
All in all
The DBX is an ideally positioned luxury SUV. Its price, at €193,500 in Germany, places it close to the Bentayga, from which it certainly has a more refined and "unique" feel, as the Bentayga has many elements from the Volkswagen Group, while the DBX carries few elements reminiscent of Mercedes Benz. It's almost identical in performance to Audi's RS Q8, with clearly superior quality of materials and assembly, and although it's slower than the performance superstar of the bunch, the Lamborghini Urus, it's also, by comparison, much more luxurious and, let's be honest, far more beautiful and of a higher quality. And about €55,000 cheaper.
DBX is therefore the most balanced choice. Made of top quality materials, hand-assembled, aesthetically differentiated from its competitors, equipped with all the latest technologies and safety and assistance systems. All this, at a price that is somewhere in the middle to lower end, compared to its competition.
So, one could say that apart from being unique, it is perhaps the best value for money choice, with great personalization possibilities, both in terms of the choice of colors, interior trim etc, but also in terms of practicality, with the various optional equipment packages offered.
It may be a subjective (and in this case, personal) opinion, but, as impressive as "Lamborghini", for the Urus, or sophisticated as Bentley, for the Bentayga, sounds, when asked what you drive, there's another glamorous thing to say, Aston Martin...
