After years of rumors and real-world development, Aston Martin has finally joined the SUV crew. Among its members these days? Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, and Jaguar, with the likes of Lotus and Ferrari eager to join this high-riding posse of automotive misfits.
The DBX is a two-row utility vehicle boasting a profile you can find elsewhere in the industry and an engine sourced from the Germans. It’s a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 borrowed from AMG, and it motivates this largest-ever Aston with 542 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Price? If you need to ask, you cannot afford.
Having said that, the DBX starts at $189,000 before destination. Standard content is… considerable, as this is more than just a crossover with a face emulating the DB3, DB4, DB5, and so on.
Built on a dedicated aluminum platform, the DBX, which goes on sale in the second half of 2020, is a luxurious vehicle. It has to be, or it’s not an Aston Martin. The British automaker took pains to project elegance via a bodystyle that often isn’t — the B-pillar gets a glass coat in order to present a seamless greenhouse to the world, while window glass arrives sans frames.
Steeply-raked rear glass improves the vehicle’s profile while hindering rear cargo volume. There’s 22.3 cubic feet behind those plus rear seats, though cargo volume usually isn’t the topmost of considerations when purchasing an Aston Martin. Nor is rock-clearing height, even though the DBX’s air suspension allows the driver to increase ground clearance above the standard 7.8 inches to the tune of an extra 1.8 inches. Should you encounter a peaceful creek or stream in your off-road adventures, the automaker wishes to let you know that the DBX can wade through 19.7 inches of the wet stuff.
News you can use!
Crossing the Rubicon in the literal sense does increase the danger of scuffing the model’s 22-inch wheels, so proceed with caution. Escaping from bad guys in an old G-Wagen on twisting European roads should also be a breeze, as the model employs brake-based torque vectoring with its all-wheel drive system, aided in keeping the vehicle planted by an air suspension with 48-volt anti-roll system. The AWD doles out torque in a 47/53 front-rear split. If you need it, almost 100 percent of available twist will make it to the rear wheels, allowing for cinematic rooster tails at just the right moment.
The engine’s grunt, by the way, makes it to the wheels through a nine-speed automatic. 60 mph should arrive in 4.3 seconds, with six drive modes on hand to help tailor your vehicle’s ride to the changing terrain or weather.
Inside, it’s options galore, not least of which concerns the seats. You can have those pretty much any way you choose, including in an upholstery that’s a mix of Australian lamb’s wool mixed with synthetic fibers. Front the cash, and Aston’s bespoke Q branch will add it for you. Leather, of course, would be the proper British thing to go for, and it’s here in spades.
Gauges? They’re there, displayed on a 12.3-inch screen, while infotainment duties are handled by a 10.25-inch screen mounted dead-square in the dash, not on top of it.
If none of this appeals to you, the wealthy reader, the last thing Aston can throw at you is luggage. It’s available, and it’s supple.
[Images: Aston Martin]
Typical marketing here, let’s put press pictures of this minivan in locations associated with actual SUVs hoping to build some credit for the city dwellers that will purchase this.
I wish Ford would make stuff like this since this already looks very Ford-like
I think Ford makes better looking CUVs. But yes this AM looks like slightly distorted Ford Escape from front. But rich people have money and want to depart with them – what can you do?
I wonder when AM will start making bicycles pr/and electric scooters – there is a new trend to make city centers car free and available for scooters and bicycles only. It is called New Urbanism when you do not need car – everything in walking distance.
Spent a number of evenings in ‘charettes’ (brainstorming sessions) with Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk who basically founded the concept of New Urbanism.
Streets all using the grid system, meaning that each street shares traffic rather than having it funneled to one main street. Narrower streets and lots for greater density. Garages on back lanes with ‘flats’ built over the garage for in-laws, kids, renters or to use as home offices.
On the ‘major’ streets they have storefronts with the housing overtop in 3 story rowhouses.
Town squares with parks to make up for the smaller lots.
It actually makes sense. And replicates how most cities/towns looked at the turn of the 20th century.
As for the A-M DBX. I bought my lottery ticket tonight and hope to be the first in my neighbourhood driving one of these.
Streets all using a grid system, is the biggie. Parallelizing all which can be parallelized,is always a benefit. As is allowing every possible trip, from any point A to any point B, to be as short as possible, which a regular grid also facilitates.
Beyond that, just letting everyone build whatever, beats the heck out of any “planner” doing what planners do.Just like parallelization, maximizing flexibility is another one of those universal win-wins.
From the front, looks remarkably like an updated last generation Infiniti QX50, the extended wheelbase version with 330hp V6 based on the G37. Just a few added creases.
The duck tail rear is unique and fitting with the brands heritage.
Maybe it will be a new styling trend since it’s similar to the Supra and late Chrysler 200.
Oohh, I like it. At $189k, it’s another Ace of Base!
Looks like a Mustang
+100 Take a cookie.
“Looks like a Mustang”
No more like Ford Escape or Ferrari Something.
I wish the new Escape looked as good with a few extra hp thrown in
Then you could not afford it.
It will be interesting to observe if, over time, designers are able to develop exterior designs which provide more distinctiveness.
I give GM great credit for how their sedans became so distinctive in the 50s and 60s. Each of its many marques were distinctive…a Pontiac always looked like a Pontiac…and the Cadillacs were remarkable for how they stood out. Somehow…the designers of contemporary 2-row CUVs have not figured out how to do this…..
Cadillacs were Buicks with fins and oh did Cadillac get a lot of mileage out of those fins
Or were Buick’s Cadillac’s without Fins?
That said, I spent many hours riding in my grandparents’ 1968 LaSabre. To my eye, it’s styling was unmistakably Buick in every way.
https://funkyimg.com/i/2YU9a.jpg
Nobody ever mistook it for an Olds…Pontiac…or Caddy.
He talks about 1949 Buick/Cadillac. Almost identical but Buick looked more classy.
^This^ They were almost identical in looks AND prestige
Only if you’re a certain age. Most full size American cars from the 60’s and 70’s look almost identical to me, and the the shapes of the 50’s ones are all similar, only the colour schemes and details give them away. Most of the 60’s and 70’s cars are just rectangular boxes in various shapes, just like all the crossovers are ovoid blobs. Of course there were a lot more exceptions that stood out back then than there are today.
@scott, Have to disagree 100%. Every marque in the 50’s and 60’s and some into the 70’s had their own, very noticeable styling cues. Unlike most of today’s vehicles.
Pontiacs hawknose grille.
Buicks ventiports.
Cadillac fins. And grille.
The Continental hump on Lincoln Marks.
The round tailights on Chevs.
All instantly recognizable, from a distance
Arthur,
The 1970 Chevelle, LeMans, GS, and 442 were the same exact car on the outside minus the shape of the grille. The headlights were even put in the exact same layout.
Looks like a Volante that’s had a nasty fright.
That looks like the new Ford Escape, identical, just waaaaayyyy better.
Yawn
That’s a Mercedes GLE, right?
Except for the front end, I don’t know that I could tell this from an I-Pace from over 20 feet.
Holy CX-9, Batman. At least in profile.
OH LOOK ANOTHER SUV THAT LOOKS LIKE ALMOST EVERY OTHER SUV TO THE POINT OF ANONYMITY
I don’t understand any of these comments. This is possibly the first luxury crossover that actually stands out and looks expensive. The Bentayga is laughably pathetic and probably the most expensive way to look like an utter tool, the Urus looks like a cheap bodykit on something else, the Levante and Stelvio are incredibly anonymous, and most of the other six figure CUV’s like the Model X are just plain hideous. The Cullinan looks expensive but only because it has the giant Rolls grille plastered on the front. This is a cohesive design that doesn’t look like anything else, kudos to Aston for actually trying.
I would have to agree with that. But I’ve always been a fan of AMs designs. Even the less-than-universally-lauded Rapide. Bloody shame about substituting a commoners’ engine and some leaf blowers, for a proper, Aston appropriate V12, though.
scott25: I agree that the front end and interior are much better and better looking, respectively, than that of/in most other luxury crossovers.
So I am amending my previous comprehensive slam in those respects.
The side profile and rear end are a mess, though, like most crossovers, and to be very candid, the side profile is just way too busy, to the point of being laughably overwrought, and the rear could literally be mistaken for any of a dozen other manufacturers (some that make crossovers that cost literally an eighth of this).
It pains me to state all of this, as I believe that Aston Martin designers/stylists have produced some of the best and most elegant designs in recent (or not so recent) history, such as the 2-Litre Sports, the DB4 GT Zagato, and the circa-2005 V8 Vantage (especially in silver, one of the top 20 – maybe 12 – best looking/styled vehicles of all time IMO).
But as with many makes, the exquisite styling that comes to define many of their legendary coupes or sedans does not translate or carryover to their crossovers.
The new spelling for station wagon – SUV or CUV. Either spelling is acceptable.
Disagree, its CUV. SUVs, like tools, are capable of work while mom’s wagon is not.
Station wagons were often used by service/repair people in the 60s and 70s; at least in the areas near me.
The line between a CUV and SUV is so blurred now, how can you tell which is which?
You say potato (here’s Dan Quayle’s E), I say spud, and he says tuber.
For the work of hauling a latte back from Starbucks, I doubt you’ll see much difference either way. CUVs tend to have step-in and seating height more suitable for the oldsters with the home and “portfolio” equity to buy them.
I got it, just have to associate the lame CUV with “OK Boomer” meme and perhaps the young zombie denizens will start to wake up.
OK Boomer, buy the CUV.