With the DBX, Aston Martin hopes to extend the appeal of its brand beyond sports car fans who are willing to sacrifice practicality for style and performance.
The company best known for supplying James Bond with his wheels now aims to capitalize on the hugely popular crossover market that has already seduced iconic rivals such as Lamborghini with its wild Urus SUV.
Aston Martin says the DBX will perform with the same liveliness and grace as its range of revered performance cars as well as demonstrate the impressive off-road and towing capabilities that are expected of ultra-expensive luxury crossovers.
It’s powered by a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine built by Mercedes’ AMG division in Germany. It’s a slightly modified version of the engines used in some Aston Martin DB11 and Vantage sports cars. In the DBX, it produces up to 542 horsepower. A hybrid model will eventually follow, and an all-electric version is expected much further down the road. The DBX is said to share a basic platform with the DB11 coupe, and we expect it to be constructed mainly of aluminum. So far, the company has only released images of a prototype version wrapped in camouflage.
With a large touchscreen and the likelihood of contemporary features, the DBX’s infotainment system should fit right in with the hordes of modern crossovers.
Besides being Aston Martin’s first SUV, the DBX is also the first vehicle from the luxury auto maker to offer five adult-sized seats. Most other Aston Martins either have two tiny seats in the back, comfortable perhaps for small children, or no backseat at all.
