Aston Martin has its first SUV, ever. This is also the first five-passenger vehicle for the British automaker. It arrives at a time when Aston needs to start cranking out more sales to satisfy its owners and stockholders. And a sport utility vehicle has typically been the path to financial success for many an automaker. Or at least the path to get some quick cash while satisfying the demands of U.S. and Chinese markets. Whatever the case, Aston is doing it because they have to.
In this need for cash, Aston happened to also create a very handsome thing. Aston is best known for its two-door vehicles and its experiment with the four-door Rapide produced mixed results. But this DBX SUV/CUV/jacked-up-wagon/vehicle-style-de-jour is damn good looking. Proportions are right from every angle and it is unmistakably Aston Martin. The rear-end, love it or hate it, will not get mistaken for a Cayenne or a Renegade.
The interior looks typically Aston Martin gorgeous. And probably, as is typical for Aston Martin, it has some ergonomic issues. The seats look fantastic and the rear seats split 40:20:40 and fold. That’s right, it’s a five-seater and Aston says that they specifically designed that seats to accommodate normal-sized people.
A 10.25” screen occupies the center console, while a huge 12.3” screen acts as a gauge cluster. Apple CarPlay comes as standard, as does a 360-degree camera system. The interior is tastefully illuminated at night by ambient lighting that offers 64 different colors in two zones. Because of course.
While Audi, Jaguar, and Ford are showing slightly similar-looking vehicles at the Los Angles Auto Show, they all happen to be electric. But Aston remained proper and did it the old school way – they shoehorned the 4-litre, twin-turbocharged 550-horsepower V8 from the DB11 and Vantage into the DBX. And literately no one will complain about that. And if they do, they’re just wrong.
Nine-speed automatic transmission sends that power to all four wheels. Those wheels send the DBX t0 to 62mph in 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 181mph. Those are typically conservative manufacturer’s figures. There’s no doubt there there will be more powerful models in the future.
The DBX can be delivered to you in the second quarter of 2020. All you need is $189,900 burning a hole in your pocket. Add more money, because it’s only money, honey, for packages, options and accessories. Don’t forget taxes, too.
We think that Aston Martin has a winner on its hands. It’s a great looking, premium vehicle in just the right size and style. We’d bet that James Bond will drive one some day. Enjoy the huge library of pics.
Leave a Reply