Aston Martin DBX gon’ give it to ya
Like it or not, ultra-luxury brands like Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini (and maybe even Ferrari soon) are getting on the SUV bandwagon. The Aston Martin DBX will soon joining the Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and Lamborghini Urus in the growing luxury SUV segment. Back in 2015 Aston showed a concept version of the DBX, but now the name is final and engineers are actively testing prototypes in the real world. And based on the the drifty, rally-approved antics the test drivers are up to so far, the DBX will be able to do things like no Aston Martin to date.
The first prototype drive for the Aston Martin DBX was in Wales, where the new SUV took on a Welsh Rally stage. As expected, the DBX looks to be more focused on dirt-, mud-, and snow-covered roads rather than the rock-crawling and true off-roading capability of something like the Mercedes G-wagen.
Aston says that because the DBX is the first vehicle of its kind for the brand, it requires a dedicated testing regimen. “So, while it will perform with the verve and poise of a true Aston Martin, its dynamic envelope has to extend into areas previously off-limits to the marque’s sporting roots.”
We don’t know much about what’s going on under the metal for the DBX, but Aston Martin chief engineer Matt Becker shed some light on the details in an interview with Road & Track this past summer. Per Road & Track:
“It’s its own thing,” Becker said. “It’s a completely new platform. It takes learning from [Aston’s other new cars], for sure, but there’s a lot more suspension technology going to go into that car.”
Becker told us that suspension technology will include three-chamber air springs and some sort of active anti-roll system, which will help offset the DBX’s weight and high center of gravity. “It’s physics at the end of the day and you need additional help to overcome those physics,” he said.
Based on the rally footage, we see that the DBX will look quite a bit different from the sleek, lifted, all-wheel-drive coupe that Aston previewed in its 2015 concept. Instead we see a more traditional four-door SUV with a stubby rear hatch, paired with Aston’s familiar lipstick-painted grille motif up front. The powertrain remains a mystery, as well, although the most likely candidate is the AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 at work in the new Aston Martin Vantage and DB11 V-8.
The new Aston Martin DBX will be built at an all-new facility in St. Athan, South Wales, where production is expected to begin in late 2019.
