New Aston Martin DBX: the English brand's first SUV arrives full of luxury and exclusivity

Aston Martin announced some time ago that it had succumbed to the SUV segment, a sector in which many of its main rivals had already competed. Months later, the English house showed the world a test mule meant to preview the final look of the DBX, the name given to this new member. Today, the company has finally unveiled this long-awaited model, which arrives loaded with the essence of the brand along with a series of details that make the Aston Martin DBX one of the most sporty and exclusive SUVs in the world.

Thanks to a design faithful to its principles and an elegant, luxurious interior, the new DBX fits squarely within the line that is so characteristic of Aston Martin. It should come as no surprise that the brand’s engineers have not forgotten to give it the distinctive sporty touch of its offspring, which is why the English SUV is poised to become one of the fastest in this crowded segment.

Pure and hard-edged Aston Martin design

Many were concerned when the people from Gaydon announced that an SUV would arrive sooner rather than later. However, Aston Martin has delivered a design exercise that is hard to fault, since they have drawn on their signature patterns to make the DBX instantly recognizable as a Aston Martin despite its greater size and its five doors.

The front is governed by one of the brand’s identity markers, the grille. It adopts the new design we have already seen on the English house’s latest launches, and it is accompanied by oval headlights with LED technology. The side gains strength from the SUV’s physiognomy and is accentuated by imposing 22-inch wheels.

Finally, before analysing the cabin, we can see a muscular rear end where the presence of two spoilers will strongly catch your attention: one at the end of the roof and another ducktail-style one just above the taillights. And speaking of the taillights, they are slim and elongated, and their design is inspired by those already found on the Vantage, its smaller sibling. The final touch is at the bumper, where two sporty yet subtle exhaust outlets have been integrated, giving the English SUV that spicy edge.

But it is in the cabin where the engineers and designers at Aston Martin have fearlessly lavished great doses of elegance and luxury. Leather, wood and more leather are the materials in this interior, with no plastic in sight, so its occupants find themselves wrapped in an exclusive atmosphere. Technology also has its place in the new DBX, as attested by the digital instrument cluster displayed on a 12.3-inch screen, a 10.25-inch central display, or the 64 colours available for configuring the ambient lighting.

Neither diesel, nor electric, nor hybrid: a combustion V8

But what good would it be to offer such a revealing look without a matching mechanical package? The engineers at Aston Martin have made sure to offer a setup on a par with the other models in the range. To do so, the English house has turned to its faithful ally Mercedes-AMG, a company with which it shares engines and technology.

Thanks to the partnership between the two, the new DBX is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 capable of producing 550 CV and 700 Nm of torque. With these figures, the English SUV can cover 0 to 100 km/h in a not-to-be-dismissed 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 291 km/h. To complement this performance, the engineers have included an intelligent three-chamber air suspension system, which can lower the body by 45 mm or raise it by 50 mm depending on the driver’s needs and the type of terrain being tackled.

To manage all this power, Aston Martin has used a torque-converter automatic gearbox with nine speeds, which pairs perfectly with an all-wheel-drive system with electronically controlled central and rear differentials. But it is also necessary to stop those 550 CV and the 2,245 kilos the DBX declares on the scales when unladen, which is why they have used 410 mm ventilated steel front discs with six-piston calipers, and 390 mm rear discs with sliding-piston calipers.

It is still premature to talk about dates and money in Spain, but Aston Martin has already revealed that the DBX will cost 193,500 euros in Germany. At the same time, there will be a special edition called 1913, limited to 500 units, which will feature various commemorative plates, an inspection led by Andy Palmer, the brand’s CEO, a unique instruction book signed by Aston Martin’s Creative Director, Marek Reichman, and an invitation to a celebration cocktail at the Waldorf Astoria.

This is how the English brand has chosen to enter with a show-stopping performance in a highly crowded segment, where it intends to make a real impact and become a serious contender for the title of best sports SUV.