With the DBX, Aston Martin has come up with a devilishly attractive SUV, one that should help win over a new clientèle – more family-oriented but still passionate about sports cars. SoBARNES shows you round the future best-seller.
Sports cars have come to a crossroads, both literally and figuratively. Given that the end of the road for the combustion engines is predicted within the next 15 years or so, and road restrictions have limited the opportunities to indulge in pure speed, the way forward likely lies with the SUV. These cars are real all-rounders, a combination of a supercharged saloon car, a coupe cut out for the track, a family-friendly people carrier and a road warrior's 4x4. On all continents they are now seen as the future of the luxury sports car. A niche Porsche opened up with the Cayenne some 20 years ago, later followed (or imitated?) by Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Lamborghini and co.
The difficulty lies in making a car that doesn't sacrifice aesthetic appeal to efficiency. So all eyes were on Aston Martin on this aspect. But they’ve pulled it off, producing a DBX that remains a real Aston Martin:
The stunning new arrival is 16.5 ft long and 6.5 ft wide, and has preserved all the classic Aston Martin elegance, starting with the radiator grille in a style unchanged since the 1960s. The SUV's profile is a big winner, making it look like the car is in movement even when parked. The windows are pure and simple, recalling the brand's coupes, while the rear features the wave effect first seen on the Vantage.
The luxurious interior of Aston Martin's first 5-seater has been designed to provide the same levels of space and comfort whether you are seated in front or behind. An approach that shows to what extent the egoist's car of the past is dead and buried. Significantly, a group of children were even invited to test out the DBX's user-friendly set up… The boot capacity is 632 litres, enough to accommodate all the family's luggage.
And its performances are hair-raising, with the brand announcing 0 to 62mph in 4.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 181mph. To achieve these results, the DBX is fitted with a good old Mercedes-AMG 4.0-litre V8 Twin Turbo at 550 PS with the power transmitted to the four wheels via a 9-speed automatic gearbox. Aston Martin is highlighting the car's versatility, since the SUV is designed both to drop the kids off at school (children really are in the spotlight!) and to take them on holiday, as well as turning into a king of the race track at the slightest pressure on the accelerator. The price tag at £160,000 (€185,000) is admittedly high, but within the average for a car in this category.
And since you can always trust SoBARNES to give you all the cutting-edge details, you might like to know that the SUV is also designed with the hunting fraternity in mind with an option for safely stowing your dog (or dogs) in the boot. Even better, there is an optional portable washer to rinse down our canine friends so they don't get mats and upholstery dirty. As we said, a revolution really is under way...
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Infos : Astonmartin.com
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