Stop crying. Stop whining. It’s not bad. Aston Martin isn’t losing its heritage. It isn’t corrupting the brand’s legacy. The upcoming DBX 4×4 isn’t an abomination. In fact, it’s the very opposite of all those thoughts. The DBX represents the future of every batshit insane sports, super and hypercar Aston Martin is set to build. The DBX is what ensures Aston Martin’s continued love affair with turbos and aerodynamics. Now buck up, because the DBX looks quite hysterical.
Think of the DBX as Porsche’s first-generation Cayenne. At first, purists and naysayers believed it represented the death-knell of a brand devoted to the sports car. Fast forward nearly two decades later and, with hindsight, we can see that the Cayenne is what saved Porsche from failure and ensured we got the 911 GT3 and GT2, as well as the hyper-insane 918.
Little is known about Aston’s forthcoming SUV, other than what can be gleaned from the handful of impressive pictures of it running through one stage of the Welsh Rally circuit. We can see that it’s powered by some form of internal combustion engine given it has twin-exit tailpipes.
The long, sloping hood likely hides the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 sourced from Mercedes-AMG that also powers the Vantage and a version of the DB11. That said, Aston Martin is working with both Williams Technology and Rimac to provide hybrid and fully electric drivetrains for the upcoming Rapide and Valkyrie, so the DBX could use some combination. We wouldn’t be surprised if Aston Martin offered either a hybrid or a fully electric DBX in the vehicle’s future.
Where the DBX will set itself apart from other sporty SUVs will be in terms of handling and vehicle dynamics. Sure, Porsche’s Cayenne is brilliant, but you can still feel the Audi underpinnings, same with Bentley’s Bentayga, although the Bentley is miles ahead of the Porsche. How Aston Martin will achieve this is largely down to the man in charge of its handling setup, Matt Becker. Originally Lotus’ handling man, Becker jumped ship to Aston a few years ago, and since brought massive handling and dynamics gains to all of the brand’s offerings, including the all-new DBS Superleggera and the rebirthed Vantage.
In addition to the Welsh backroads, Aston Martin will be testing the DBX in the Arctic, on the Nurburgring, and through the scorching sands and heat of the Middle East. Furthermore, the brand’s head honchos are excited about the product — something Porsche wasn’t when the Cayenne first debut.
Aston’s CEO Dr. Andy Palmer said, “Seeing a DBX development prototype in action is a momentous chapter in the story of our first SUV, for it is the moment it really comes alive. DBX is so much more than ‘just’ an SUV; it will be the first model built at our brand-new facility in St Athan. As such, it is very much the start of a bold new era in the company’s long history.”
So, don’t get too flustered by Aston adding an SUV, it means the brand will survive and that cars like the DB11, Vantage, DBS, and Valkyrie will continue to exist. All hail the DBX!
