When money ceases to matter, scarcity still counts. That, as much as beauty, speed and an association with literary superspy James Bond, is the key to Aston Martin’s enduring appeal for the very rich.
The DBX performance SUV translates that from the niche-selling two-seat sports cars that have been the brand’s mainstay for 109 years into a package fit for 21st Century plutocrats: Sleek, fast, roomy, tailor-made to compete with uber-SUVs like the Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.
That’s a small competitive set of vehicles built for customers with very large bank balances.
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DBX prices start at $185,900. The top of the line is the $232,000 upcoming DBX 707, an exercise in automotive one-upmanship and the art of creating a name that recalls Agent 007 without running afoul of the Bond behemoth’s intellectual property. It arrives midyear.
Luxury and exclusivity are Aston Martin’s stock in trade. The DBX delivers with the consistency of a trust fund.
Looks and heritage in a bigger, better package
The DBX’s calling cards are:
- Styling that somehow simultaneously offers more room than a Bentayga or Urus and alludes to the minute Aston Martin DB5 coupe that Bond drove in the 1965 movie “Thunderball” and 2021’s “No Time to Die.”
- 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds, 181-mph top speed.
- A nearly silent cabin trimmed with luxury cues long associated with the brand, particularly Bridge of Weir leather from Scottish Highland bulls.
- A level of comfort and convenience the low-slung, cramped cars that were formerly Aston’s complete model line can’t touch.
- Bulletproof power and electronics thanks to a tech-sharing deal with Mercedes.
- A unique Aston-engineered platform.
The DBX is sleek and appears small, but the interior is spacious. Aston claims room for someone to sit behind a 6-foot, 4-inch driver. The cargo compartment is similarly accommodating.
Like many brands with a legacy based on one of two famous models, Aston Martin has often been a prisoner of its own past success. The company built one vehicle after another in the mold of the sleek DB5, never trying to stretch its appeal into higher-selling segments that would appeal to more buyers and give its fans a reason to buy a new vehicle more than once a decade.
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The DBX is a monumental shift from that existential morass. At 198.4 inches long, 78.7 wide with mirrors folded and 66.1 inches tall, the DBX will carry four adults in luxury, five in comfort with plenty of room for luggage, golf clubs, fishing rods or whatever swanky pastime its occupants intend. Its lengthy 102.5-inch wheelbase pushes the wheels out to the DBX’s corners, contributing to room, and handling.
Safety and driver assistance features
- Adaptive cruise control
- Forward collision warning
- Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Lane departure and lane keeping assist
- Traffic sign recognition
- Blind spot and rear cross traffic alerts
- Door opening warning
Able in snow while you sit in luxury
Power comes from a 4.0L Mercedes-AMG 4.0L twin-turbo V8 that produces 542 hp and 561 pound-feet of torque. The smooth, fast-shifting nine-speed transmission is also courtesy of Mercedes, which reduces its piece cost by supplying a brand that doesn’t compete meaningfully with AMG. Acceleration is immediate and effortless, with no squat on the rear wheels thanks to an air suspension that offers more ride height in the unlikely event of off-roading in a DBX and delivers excellent stability and road holding in the far more predictable fast maneuvers and enthusiastic explorations of country curves. The drivetrain has four programmed on-road settings and two for off-road.
The all-wheel-drive system — also courtesy of the nice folks at AMG — apportions power smoothly to each corner for acceleration, grip and handling on dry surfaces. It also served admirably when a snow squall reduced traction from disappointing to disastrous for many other drivers. The DBX was sure-footed on surface roads and highways.
Bridge of Weir leather from Highland bulls — in this case, that’s a breed, not a location — covers every surface, even the removable parcel shelf in the cargo area. Only Highland cattle need apply, because their long, shaggy coat protects the hide from nicks from fences, branches, etc. The leather surface is incredibly smooth, with contrasting stitching.
Aston uses exclusively hides from bulls because cows get stretch marks. The reflexive feminist in me wants to complain about the sexism implicit in that choice but the cattle themselves probably aren’t in any rush to contribute to Aston’s mystique, so it’s no skin off my nose, as it were.
An 800-watt, 14-speaker audio system delivers terrific sound. It’s branded simply as “Aston Martin premium audio,” but sounds like the work of a leading audio supplier.
How much?
I tested a 2021 DBX, but there are no significant changes for 2022, other than the addition of the DBX 707.
My vehicle had a base price of $185,500 and stickered at $226,700, before Aston adds a $3,086 destination charge.
Standard features include 22-inch wheels and nicely programmed adaptive cruise control — the tiny car on the graphic showing following distance is a DB5, one of several nods to the most famous Aston that include grille and headlight styling. The safety features are unobtrusive, another pleasant benefit of the alliance with Mercedes. Aston’s small sales volumes would make it hard to maintain software expertise for systems like lane departure without a bigger-selling partner.
Options included “black chrome” metallic interior trim and lots of dark, low-gloss Ziricote wood, with a distinctive “landscape” or “spider web” grain. Ziricote, from a small tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, is expensive, but not endangered.
The DBX is so unique and enjoyable that it’s easy to forget a few features where Aston’s low sales volumes make it hard for the brand to stay at the cutting edge. You have to physically push in on the flush door handles to open the vehicle. Some larger brands have flush handles that pop out when the key fob is near. Similarly, the 10-inch video screen doesn’t respond to touch. You’re in luck if you like cars with touch pads or rotary multicontrollers. Aston offers both. They’re a poor substitute for touch control on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, however. Both smartphone interfaces are standard, but require a USB connection. Standard wireless charging is new for 2022. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto may follow later.
The $232,000 DBX707 arrives midyear to ratchet up the exclusivity. It has engine and transmission upgrades that boost output to 697 hp, 663 pound-feet of torque. It reaches 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and has a top speed of 194 mph. Accompanying upgrades will include carbon ceramic brakes, optional 23-inch tires and changes to the electronic limited slip rear differential and air suspension.
Aston Martin DBX at a glance
Base price: $185,500 (all prices exclude destination charge)
All-wheel drive luxury 5-passenger SUV
Price as tested: $227,600
On sale now
Specifications as tested:
Engine: 4.0L bi-turbo V8
Output: 542 hp; 516 lb-ft of torque
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
EPA fuel economy estimate: 14 mpg city/18 highway/15 combined. Premium gasoline.
EPA estimated annual fuel cost: $4,150
0-60 time: 4.3 seconds
Top speed: 181 mph
Wheelbase: 120.5 inches
Length: 198.4 inches
Width: 80.7 inches (mirrors folded)
Height: 66.1 inches
Cargo volume: 22.3 cubic feet behind rear seat; 54 behind front
Water fording: 19.7 inches
Ground clearance: 7.48 inches; 9.25 at maximum ride height
Curb weight: 4,940 pounds
Weight distribution: 54/46
Towing capacity: 5,940 pounds
Assembled in St Athan, Wales