With SUVs taking over the car industry and almost every major manufacturer having one in their model lineup, it was only a matter of time before Aston Martin showed us their take on one. The DBX aims to be Aston Martin’s buoy in a sea of slowing sales and falling profits. SUVs have proven to defy market trends for other brands and Aston Martin hopes the DBX will do the same. The DBX is powered by a four-litre V8 producing 542bhp and 699Nm of torque. It gets four-wheel-drive, hill descent control and terrain modes. The interior gets leather everywhere dominated by a massive 10.2-inch infotainment system.
Unmistakably Aston
Lamborghini, Porsche, Bentley and Rolls-Royce all have their flagship SUVs in the market but none of them are what you’d call beautiful. Striking? Yes. Beautiful? Not exactly. Aston Martin has a long history of making some of the most gorgeous cars to look at, (think DB5) and personally I think the DBX is no exception. Looks can be subjective, so you are entitled to your opinion but the DBX could definitely be one of the most beautiful SUVs on the market.
The front end is dominated by one of the largest grilles the company has made, on the lower-end it is flanked by two fog-lamps on either side that also serve up as air ducts. The bonnet has muscular bulges on it and a pair of very nifty looking air vents. The side profile has a strong belt-line, an angular vent behind the front fender and the B-pillar sits flush with the windows, there are silver roof rails as well. The muscular lines flow into what I feel is the best part of the SUV, the rear-end.
It gets a roof spoiler under which is a steeply raked rear window flowing into the ducktail spoiler, similar to that of the Vantage. The taillights are similar to that of the Vantage, following the curve of the spoiler. The bottom half is also similar to the that of the Vantage — housing the twin exhausts that get optional carbonfibre tips surrounded by perforations. The imposing stance is complemented by the massive 22-inch rims that fit in perfectly with the dimensions of the DBX.
Beautiful or not is for you to decide but the DBX looks undoubtedly like an Aston Martin should.
Leather, leather and more leather
The interior of the DBX is a huge step forward for Aston too. Gone is the tablet style display of other Astons; the DBX gets a massive 10.2-inch infotainment display coupled with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. What dominates the interior though is the sheer amount of leather absolutely everywhere, even on the speakers! The entire headlining is covered in gorgeous Alcantara, even the sunroof blind has not been spared.
The seats are borrowed from the DB11 and are expected to be comfortable. The interior of then DBX looks like a place where long hours can be spent, not just driving but drooling too.
Technicalities
Powering this 2245kg SUV is the same twin-turbo AMG sourced V8 which now makes 542bhp and 700Nm of torque in the DBX. The engine also features cylinder deactivation to aid fuel economy. That means the DBX can take you and your loved ones to 100kmph from a standstill in just 4.5 seconds. Mated to the nine-speed automatic gearbox is a four-wheel-drive system that can send up to 100 per cent of the power to the rear wheels. An active central differential and an electronic rear limited slip differential will help in tricky off-road situations. In terms of driving modes it gets the usual ones from other Astons with two additions, Terrain and Terrain+. The DBX features air suspension that can raise or lower the car’s ride height and change the stiffness of the ride depending on what drive mode you select. There is also hill descent control, adaptive dampers and anti-roll system. The DBX also gets an active exhaust keeping you from waking up the neighbours early in the morning.
Packages
The DBX gets unique optional packages that will further tailor the SUV to the customer’s needs. For example the Pet Package includes a portable washer at the back to clean up your furry friends while the Snow Package includes boot warmers, ski rack and other accessories.
Price
The DBX is expected to be priced somewhere in the range of Rs 3-3.5 crore when it launches in India. After seeing the success of the Lamborghini Urus in India, we expect Aston Martin to debut it soon on our shores.
