51 Sleek & Sporty

SLEEK & SPORTY

The Aston Martin DBX ticks all the boxes for a sportier SUV.

WORDS CHRIS NIXON

ONE LOOK INSIDE the cabin of the Aston Martin DBX confirms it’s a true handcrafted example of Britain’s most illustrious sports car make … it’s sumptuous.

But the DBX isn’t a traditional sports car.

Instead, it’s the company’s first SUV and only the second four-door Aston Martin in its 108-year history.

It might be arguable whether the DBX, in the company of the sleek coupes that comprise the rest of the Aston range, is actually a sports car as the manufacturer prefers us to think.

But as a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), it offers more sport than almost every other model in the automotive world.

We have here a 2.45 tonne SUV that will reach 100 kmh in just 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 291 kmh.

Aston Martin had little choice but to join the rapid (and profitable) paradigm shift to SUVs as the world’s most popular vehicle type for everyday driving.

Makers have to have one or more offerings to stay in the game.

However, while most mass-market SUVs are merely jacked-up and tricked-up variants of a sedan or hatchback made more for profit than practicality, the Aston Martin DBX presents a particular opportunity: that is, to own an Aston Martin with all its performance, luxury and prestige, and one that will carry all the family without having to climb down into a low-slung coupe that feels like a tiger on a leash when you head down to the shops for a litre of milk.

By the age some people acquire the wealth to buy an Aston Martin, they may be past living with a supercar.

The DBX is the model for people who’ve wanted an Aston Martin but previously not found one to their liking.

They should like this version for many reasons.

Firstly, the interior finish is magnificent.

Our review car (pictured) was wrapped in light-tan leather that was perforated, stitched and piped in intricate patterns and detail.

Two raised, stitched ribs like spines framed the centre section of the fascia, continuing the theme of unusual vertical blades in the bonnet vents.

As befits an SUV, the 12-way adjustable front DBX seats are spacious and soft – no hipsqueezing sports pews here.

There’s good room for three youngsters in the back seat, which also can be folded in a 40:20:40 configuration for long loads such as surfboards.

The driver faces two digital screens, one in the centre and the other in the instrument cluster, which can be configured according to what data is required.

If the information system functions and controls look familiar to some people, it’s because it comes from Mercedes-Benz, which is a small shareholder and technical partner of Aston Martin.

The system also features 360-degree cameras, which provide a useful birds-eye view of the entire vehicle to assist off-roading (as if) and general manoeuvring.

And a small thing: I liked the double front sunvisors.

Turn one to block sun from the side and there’s still another to deal with glare from the front.

The standard equipment in the DBX is very long for the list price of just less than $357,000; I couldn’t imagine anything absent.

But I would be surprised if many buyers order straight from the brochure.

This segment of the car market traditionally offers almost unlimited lists of personalisation options and Aston is no exception when it comes to paint, upholstery, trim and wheels.

Optional enhancements or not, the DBX is a good looker.

Its body, made of aluminium held together with adhesive, sits on a deceptively long wheelbase that allows more interior space and a lower roof height.

The wheels are supercar-massive, wearing bespoke Pirelli P-Zero tyres of 285/40/22 at the front and 325/35/22 at the rear.

While the boot holds a dinky emergency puncture kit, the wheels would be almost too big to manhandle.

Emergency roadside assistance would be the answer.

Big rubber helps the DBX meet its brief as a properly sporty SUV and there are a few other aids.

The suspension is by airbags, rather than springs, and is adjustable for stiffness depending on how fast the driver wants to tackle corners.

It can also adjust the ride height through a range of 95 mm, according to conditions.

Anti-roll bars, normally just a passive steel bar between the wheels whose resistance to twisting keeps the vehicle flat, are a sophisticated electronic device in the DBX that make instant micro-adjustments.

Lastly, the brakes. They’re 410 mm on the front, roughly the size of a large pizza and among the biggest on any car and they’re tremendously powerful.

The suspension and brakes allow the DBX to corner as if it’s on a Velcro highway, with abundant grip, directional stability and precision.

It’s very impressive for such a big, heavy vehicle, though more for confidence in fast touring than tearing through the hills.

Mountains, however, will hardly slow this wagon, for its crowning feature is its mighty Mercedes AMG-sourced V8 engine.

The 4.0 litre twin-turbo, optimised for the DBX installation, is renowned as one of the world’s best high-performance engines.

Here it produces 405 kW of power and 700 NM of torque and performs with instant, seamless urge and a characterful growl.

In fact, I would prefer the engine to be a little quieter in normal driving, but it’s churlish to complain when the DBX is such a mighty machine in virtually every other respect.

It’s immensely fast and comfortable and Aston Martin has made one of the world’s most desirable SUVs – sports car or not.