By Jeff Glucker
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.
That rear-spoiler-light-lip gives me an immediate association:
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/supermarioandfriendsnewadventure/images/1/11/Daffy_Duck.jpg
Aston is best known for its two-door vehicles and its experiment with the four-door Rapide produced mixed results.
Why mixed results? Wasn’t it a commercial success? I always liked the big Aston Martins.
Some of the ‘poise’ of this in pictures is due to the very large areas of black-painted bodywork low down (air dam, cant rails and rear mock-diffuser); that suggests that it is probably a car that will look better in lighter colours and that it will really show its bulk if you order it in black.
I know this point is probably irrelevant to the luxury performance crossover market, but the cabin looks tiny relative to the exterior dimensions. Seems like a lot of wasted real estate to me.
Main cabin looks ok to me, but the boot floor seems to be about level with the top of the tyres which isn’t great.
There is no way that this won’t be in the next Bond film in some capacity.
That rear-spoiler-light-lip gives me an immediate association:
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/supermarioandfriendsnewadventure/images/1/11/Daffy_Duck.jpg
Aston is best known for its two-door vehicles and its experiment with the four-door Rapide produced mixed results.
Why mixed results? Wasn’t it a commercial success? I always liked the big Aston Martins.
I like the ones that they stopped calling Astons, the Lagondas. Originally because Aston Martins were two door cars only.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/2015_Aston_Martin_Lagonda_Taraf_%2819406457063%29.jpg/1920px-2015_Aston_Martin_Lagonda_Taraf_%2819406457063%29.jpg
The Taraf
I like the front and rear taken separately, but not together. Somehow it looks like two different cars welded together.
Exactly, I was about to write “Lagonda”, too. A good alternative to those who consider a Maserati too common. This one will forever be my favourite:
https://cdn.bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/1517613861f4a2051-cropped.jpg
We may as well complete the set with William Towns wedgey masterpiece. To meet the demand for a limousine lower than a 911.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Aston_Martin_Lagonda_West_London.jpg
Spot on! I’m admittedly a big hater of the Porsche 911 RS “ducktail” spoiler, but this Aston’s “duckbill” rear is pretty damned nice.
That’s a lot of money for a CX-5 with notions.
In a world where we have both thew Audi RS6 Avant and the Range Rover in all its variations there is no need for this vehicle. Audi does performance wagon so much better and erstwhile stablemate Landrover does luxury offroader so much better. As crank_case said the DBX is basically a jumped up CX-5.
This looks like a Range Rover Sport for people with real mansions instead of McMansions (albeit prettier), and you could easily argue the RR Sport has no reason to exist when the Discovery is a thing, but here we are.
since Indefatigable and Invincible both blew up spectacularly at Jutland that may not be the best name, Also the Invincible class look much better from the forward quarter
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/HMS_Invincible_%281907%29_British_Battleship.jpg
Hipper’s leadership was more Sir Robin than Sir Lancelot 🙂 The real tactical maestro was Jellicoe, and the biggest idiot at Jutland was Beatty.
Looking fantastic.