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Sunday Drive: Aston Martin DBX

Saturday, 17 July 2021

Watch as Alex Goy puts Aston Martin first-ever SUV, the DBX, through its paces off the road and on the track. (Video first published August 2020.)

ASTON MARTIN DBX

The Aston Martin DBX was well at home at the misty Huka Lodge.
The Aston Martin DBX was well at home at the misty Huka Lodge.
The rear end is largely the same as the Vantage and it works in SUV form.
The rear end is largely the same as the Vantage and it works in SUV form.

Putting lots of kilometres on a review car isn’t usually part of our testing regime. Some distributors are okay with four or five hundred being added, usually dependent on the agreement between us, while others don’t like more than two hundred.

Those that prefer fewer tend to be the more expensive, luxury manufacturers, so it was a bit of a surprise when Aston Martin offered me the chance to drive its new DBX SUV down to Taupo for a night at the fancy Huka Lodge.

The DBX has a beautifully finished interior, but a predominance of old Mercedes-Benz tech.
The DBX has a beautifully finished interior, but a predominance of old Mercedes-Benz tech.

The drive from Auckland to Huka and back is around 540km all-in, which is a fair few for an already-sold Aston Martin. It offers a nice blend of highway cruising and back-road blasting, with ample opportunity to see how Aston’s first super-SUV goes in the real world.

The gear selectors, which are mounted above the central screen, look nice but are a bit annoying for three-point turns.
The gear selectors, which are mounted above the central screen, look nice but are a bit annoying for three-point turns.

**READ MORE:

* How Tobias Moers will make Aston Martin great again

These bonnet vents let the mighty V8 lying beneath breathe.
These bonnet vents let the mighty V8 lying beneath breathe.

* First drive review: Aston Martin DBX

* Aston Martin reveals its $330k SUV, the DBX

Those wheels are optional, an option well ticked.
Those wheels are optional, an option well ticked.

**

Aston Martin’s designers look to have won about as many battles as its engineers, which I’ll get to soon. The DBX is, in my opinion, probably the best looking new model from Aston at the moment. Which is weird, considering it’s a big two-tonne land barge. I think that’s partly to do with the fact that the front end looks more like older Aston Martin, rather than the newer look of the Vantage.

The grille has the same wavy, slightly moustache-y shape as a 2012-era Vantage (even Aston sort of admitted this is a better look by bringing back the ‘vane’ grille on the new Vantage Roadster) and the headlights don’t have the angular DRLs of the DB11. It looks brilliant.

There is evidence of the new design guard at Gaydon in the rear of the DBX, which essentially apes the swoopy tail of the new Vanquish, particularly in the taillights. The SUV is also lower than it appears in photos, which has the extra effect of making it look smaller.

Driving the DBX in traffic and on the motorway is fairly unremarkable, and I mean that in the best way. It’s comfy and quiet, with the big V8 running a hair above idle most of the time. There are a few driving aids to make cruising a bit easier but the lane-keeping assist doesn’t adjust the steering, instead relying on a vibration warning through the wheel and then correcting course by using the brakes. It works, but the noise of the brakes engaging is pretty loud and alarming if you aren’t expecting it. Sounds like you’ve run over something solid and coarse.

One clearer area for improvement is the infotainment system. It’s Mercedes again, but it’s old Mercedes. Aston didn’t get the nice new MBUX system, it’s saddled with the older COMAND set-up. It works just fine, but it definitely shows its age when compared to the other stuff available, particularly for the price. There were also a few squeaks and rattles in the headlining.

But you want a DBX for how it performs on the B-roads, right? Of course you do. On that front, you won’t be disappointed. The DBX has a near-perfect weight distribution of 54:46, with the rear wheels driven almost exclusively until the car detects loss of traction, in which case it will call in the fronts. That means it drives more like a rear-drive sports car than an SUV.

The Mercedes-AMG V8 feels as powerful as ever, producing enough thrust to send the DBX to 100kmh from standstill in 4.5 seconds. Even if you don’t often test that claim, the engine is strong enough to never really feel like it’s running out of steam.

Combine that with the gorgeous chassis – an Aston Martin original, not something else from Mercedes – and the DBX inhales tarmac better than any other super-SUV I’ve driven. It’s pretty bloody loud too, as it should be. I didn’t risk testing the off-road capabilities of the DBX, but I’m sure they’re about as good as you’d expect.

There are times when the 2.2-tonne kerb weight does rear its head, but it takes a bit to get there. The steering isn’t the sharpest either, but that’s really nitpicking – it’s not a sports car, despite how well it does at emulating one.

We made it to Huka Lodge in one piece, which is an absolutely beautiful place, nestled in the forest by Huka Falls. Well-fed (we ate in a room the Queen has eaten in, which was surreal), watered and rested, we headed back the next day. On the same tank of petrol, no less, although with a starting price of $330k you probably don’t really care about petrol costs.

There will be a plug-in version of the DBX, which will make it more attractive to those wanting Aston Martin performance without as much environmental guilt, although there aren’t any details on that just yet. It should be here by 2024.

But should you buy a DBX now? It’s a lot of car, for sure, but you pay a lot for it. For comparison, Mercedes will sell you an AMG GLC 63 S, which is roughly the same size as the DBX and uses a less-powerful version of the same engine, for $187,900.

The AMG is faster to 100kmh too, if that matters. A step above that is the $244,900 Audi RS Q8, while a step below could be the $169,900 Jaguar F-Pace SVR.

But really, you’re looking at the fancier options because, well, you can. Think Bentley Bentayga V8 ($334,300), Lamborghini Urus ($349,000) and Ferrari’s upcoming Purosangue SUV.

Personally, I’d wait for the PHEV. The production Valhalla debuted recently with a plug-in hybrid version of the same 4.0-litre V8, making a huge 700kW/1000Nm. If it uses the same powertrain it will almost certainly be detuned for DBX duties, but it should still handily eclipse the current model and be a tough yardstick for the opposition to beat.