The mist of early morning wrapped around Gaydon’s rolling hills and turned the world half-dreamlike. When Aston Martin revealed this month what may well prove one of its most audacious creations yet, it was also challenging two other traditions still cherished by fans of British cars: good sense and respectability.
The British car company that has been interpreted more times than most makes in history, and which for decades has been good at combining elegance with brute Lazar soundness, has astounded automotive aficionados once again. On this occasion it’s with the Aston Martin DBX S.
But it isn’t a run-of-the-mill luxury SUV, it’s a declaration – no, better make that roar – that conveys what happens when a hundred years of sports car DNA evolves into something completely different. When you first walk around the DBX S, it’s hard not to notice how it has managed to maintain Aston’s design signature while espousing a more muscular and functional image.
The aggressive front splitter announces the car’s high performance abilities; in the back, with its unique quad stacked exhausts (take a look at them from the rear, particularly), there is little doubt that this thing means business.
However don’t be fooled – it’s far from just all show. Every line, every curve has a purpose here in the relentless pursuit of automobile excellence.
“The introduction of DBX S not only confirms our commitment to making the most exciting, rewarding and beautiful cars. coverage plan Also it is a powerful demonstration of our DBX ambitions, but not only that; it’s for the Aston Martin brand as well,” Adrian Hallmark, CEO of Aston Martin, explains.
In a world increasingly dominated by electrification talk this carries weight. For Aston Martin too confirms you can still manage an internal combustion masterpiece. Heart of the Beast
Beneath those muscular lines lies a truly exceptional power plant – a more highly tuned version of Aston’s awesome 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. The company’s engineers have not simply fettled the existing powerplant; direct technology transfers from the forthcoming supercar Valhalla are also included – such as a pair of larger diameter compressor wheels and refinements all inside.
The result of an epic technological battle? A total of 717 hp and 664 lb-ft torque. This makes it the most powerful production SUV world wide without employing additional electric motors or hybrid assistance of any kind, simply by using conventional petrol fuel and engines such as a V-8 turbocharged 6.9 liter that churns out 4,000 deliciously ineffable blowing non-stop revs per minute when it is wrung full throttle on any given straightaway track.
It ‘s this power from the 9-speed Shufen transmission “wet clutch”that makes all things possible. Able to launch a 2.2-ton luxury SUV from standstill to 62mph in just 3.3 seconds, and on to 193mph, speeds so unthinkable for something of this weight a few years ago!
DBX S test driver Mark Evans took the steering wheel and I moved toward the center console without thinking. “What really hits you,” he said after pulling in wet and returning to dry clothes, a thin film of sweat on his forehead despite the cool morning air outside. “is how when you’re driving it such a managable size car It tonescaleable shrinks round you. The response, the balance–it’s all pure Aston Martin. ”
THE ART OF LIGHTWEIGHT
In the pursuit of perfection, Aston Martin has not just concentrated on improving output but obsessed equally with cutting down. And in everything they’ve done–things that have added an immense amount of driving pleasure to what has effectively become the world’s most potent luxury Saloon.
Take the optional carbon fiber roof, for example. This is the largest such component ever installed on an Aston Martin, almost three square meters in area. With the deletion of roof rails, it saves an impressive 18 kg– and, most important of all, in the middle top part of car. This has a big impact on its center of gravity, making the vehicle more stable and responsive around corners.
What is also surprising are the 23-inch magnesium wheels – the first magnesium wheels ever offered on any production SUV. Magnesium is about 75% lighter than steel, half the weight of titanium, and also lighter than aluminum. The result: readjust the goldfish bowl, as the weight savings here are not just numbers, and they have improved almost everything from ride quality to steering response as well.
For those whose designat ion entails the ultimate in the DBX S Mechanics have sculpted a lightweight polycarbonate honeycomb grille that draws inspiration from the radical DBS 770 Ultimate. Every detail was examined and every gram challenged.
A Look Inside the Cockpit
The moment you step into it, you find yourself in an environment perfectly balancing the spirit of sport with the elegance of a luxury setting. The cabin maintains Aston’s tradition of craft, while at the same time integrating unique ‘S’ touches. The seats carry a new herringbone pattern; and will reach up onto the headlining if – as you should – you specify carbon fibre roof.
The use of lightweight Alcantara at key contact points is combined with semi-aniline leather in areas liable to wear. And, while the optional red seatbelts produced a vivid contrast in dark interiors, as expected from Aston Martin the range of customization choices here is virtually limitless.
The car does not neglect tech, either. The DBX S sports the latest Aston infotainment system with a 10.25-inch touchscreen; a major advance over earlier versions. Standard audio is an 800-watt, 14-speaker system but auditory purists can upgrade to a truly astounding 23-speaker, 1600-watt Bowers & Wilkins.
The ‘S’ Tradition
The DBX S is not just an outstanding technological achievement in its own right but is a worthy member of a line that goes back to the very foundation of Aston Martin. For many years now the suffix ‘S’ has stood for special high-performance versions of existing vehicles, starting with the Vanquish S that first appeared at the Paris Motor Show in 2004.
“Our heritage is everything to us,” said David King, Aston’s Director of Special Operations. “We don’t throw the ‘S’ designation around carelessly. It is the absolute ultimate in performance and driver engagement.”
This feeling pervades the DBX S. it’s not just about numbers on a data sheet; instead, it offers drivers an emotional experience that forms a special bond of mutual reliance between them, machine and road in a way few modern vehicles manage.
Position in the market
With production set to begin soon and deliveries planned for Q4 of 2025, the DBX S enters an extremely competitive ultra-luxury SUV market. Rivals like the Lamborghini Urus, Ferrari Purosangue and Bentley Bentayga have built up strong positions, but the DBX S brings something entirely new to the equation.
No information has been officially released on pricing for all markets yet but indications from Europe are that it will start at around $270,000 with fully equipped models easily crossing the $300,000 barrier. This is, of course, expensive but in line with what customers in such an exclusive market segment expect to pay.
What sets the DBX S apart from competitors is its emphasis on driver engagement above all else. While others are often packed with technology or opulent luxury, Aston has created something rawer, more connected — a car that just happens to be practical and comfortable but never forgets what it’s about: speed.
The Future
As the automotive world marches inexorably towards electrification, the DBX S seems like something special: a brilliant and perhaps one of the last celebrations of pure internal combustion performance in luxury SUVs.
“We’re not blind to the future,” says Hallmark. “Aston Martin, like everyone else, prospected for electrification. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still make a product with the technology we’ve spent a century perfecting.”
In this light, DBX S is of greater significance than that.Replacing nondescript SUV with dynamism or wealth; asserting their beliefs in driving experience; it’s Aston Martin’s definition of what good vehicles should be.
I look in the rearview mirror as the test car vanishes back toward the engineering block, its exhaust note bouncing walls on either hand and really am touched with a sense for what has just happened.
This isn’t simply the new flagship in Aston Martin’s SUV family – it could well be one of the company’s most important vehicles ever.Aston Martin has announced that customers can now place orders for their upcoming DBX S. Deliveries are expected to start in the fourth quarter of this year.
The car promises to provide an entirely new definition for the SUV. In an age increasingly dominated by statistics and technology, it reminds us that cars still have capacity to transmit desire and stir souls. Therefore, it must be worth our notice.