Aston Martin DBX | Test Drive

5 October 2020 Redazione News, Tested

THE ROAD IS NOT ENOUGH

Words by Alessandro Marrone / Photos by Philipp Löhmann

This time I had no intention of running away from the inevitable combination of Aston Martin and James Bond, a situation that thanks to the large filmography of the secret agent with license to kill provides excellent ideas every time we find ourselves welcoming a new model that has come out of the gates of Gaydon, not to mention when you are lucky enough to “bring work home” for a few days and properly realize how Aston Martin is able to enhance the journey, making movements more and more focused in looking for the longest road, the one that allows us to delight our five senses thanks to its “Power, Beauty, Soul” mantra which perfectly embodies cars extremely performing, damn sexy and deeply able to touch those keys that ignite in us an insatiable desire to devour kilometers.

In the case of the DBX, the first SUV ever produced by Aston Martin in over a century of existence, we have the usual promises thrown in the game to customers and enthusiasts. The road is not enough, to paraphrase the 007 movie from 1999 starring Pierce Brosnan in the role of the British agent. There is no doubt that it is something special and not only because Aston has been waiting to play this card for some time, to the point that it has begun to dust off the glorious name Lagonda, of which we should see something and even more exclusive in the near future. The fact is that the DBX is now real and as similar models from similar brands have done in the past, it plays a fundamental role for the them, both to maintain the positioning on the high standards to which we have been accustomed for over a century, as to ensure that a car capable of meeting the most diverse needs of its customers allows Gaydon to continue to invest in the research and development of those dream cars that identify the most typical collective image when you hear Aston Martin.

A part from the Rapide, which for the moment is still on the list, the DBX is the ideal all-rounder for the working week and for holidays, thanks to the characteristics that make SUVs capable of taking you everywhere and in any condition. Yes, because unlike what we were used to find at least up to five years ago, the enormous success achieved by this category has made sure that the brands put the right attention also to the off-road context, sometimes only idealized by a discreet ground clearance. Where before it was easy to find expensive SUVs stuck on dirt or snow-covered roads, the DBX emphasizes that getting dirty all the way to the doors is not a mortal sin, but a way to show that the check stuck to the dealer has ended up in something that really does what it promises. My first approach with the DBX, currently available with only one engine and which we will talk about in a few lines, happens in the very last place you would expect to find a car worth almost two hundred thousand Euros and with a bright leather interior. Between mud and lots of dust.

In a matter of minutes I throw myself on the dirt track, with the huge 22 inches wheels trampling stones, mud and then plunging into a tub full of putrid water that I would have been afraid to face even with an old LR Defender. The DBX does not have the slightest uncertainty, especially when entering the Terrain and Terrain+ mode requires assistance from the car’s brain, which can also be facilitated by maintaining speed during steep descents, through its surprising hill descent control. Suddenly I realize that SUVs no longer sit on the sidelines watching, they know how to get dirty and if you have a good reason to do that, there is no need to be too scrupulous – the DBX itself was built especially for this. Not just this however, the little voice in my head keeps asking to put the wheels on the asphalt and let the AMG-sourced 4-liter V8 that I had the opportunity to experience with the V8 Vantage, in this case deeply revised, a more adequate delivery for a car weighing over 2 tons and with a total power of 542 horsepower and a maximum torque of 700 Nm, the latter available from 2,000 to 5,000 rpm. The off-road instructor on the DBX in front of me insists and definitely proves to me that the first Aston Martin SUV is a complete product, not a beta version or something waiting to be refined for generations to come. I understand it in the precise moment when beyond the windshield I only see the blue of the sky and with the V8 muttering I climb up one of the most absurd ramps I have ever seen. At the end of the dirt path the car is completely covered with mud and glory up to the rear view mirrors.

Time to get out, without the risk to get your trousers dirty thanks to perfect isolation of the doors and panels in general, get on a model that has just arrived from the car wash and press once again that glass button that gives life to the beating heart of the DBX. In addition to the Terrain and Terrain + driving modes, we have the more traditional GT, Sport, Sport + and Individual, through which you can of course set the individual parameters to your liking. There is no need to ask, I want Sport + and with traction control that is disabled and traction mainly on the rear axle, decibel gain as much as an improved reactivity for steering, throttle and gearbox, a 9-speed automatic, with gears not so short for a turbocharged engine and therefore useful to try – as far as possible – to reduce fuel consumption at least when you come back home without haste.

Entering the unrestricted Autobahn is like entering the racetrack after a quick pit stop, in our case the ideal way to immediately have an appetizer of the dynamic qualities of the DBX. Pressing the rear to the ground, the thrust is constant and while the roar of the 4-liter is never too invasive, I shoot one gear after the other, keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel. A few kilometers later and it is finally time to abandon the barrage of Autobahn shots, in favor of a more driven section, essential for touching the behavior of the DBX, where weight and size could represent an obstacle. The comfort of the passenger compartment is spotless, but what satisfies me most is the driver seat, which by setting it to my liking offers a perfect view on the outside and, above all, makes you feel seated in the car and not on top of it, which is not a small thing if you ask me. In fact, after having struck a nice series of fast corners I had almost forgotten that I was at the wheel of an SUV, with a non-existent body roll, cornering inputs of surgical precision and that do not force you to make the sign of the cross even if before the apex you realize you have come too fast. The engine is always generous and does not imply constantly acting in search of the perfect gear, but without a doubt, being in the ideal rpm range contributes to that crazy race towards the limits of common sense that unleashes an adrenaline rush every time the world goes out of the windows becomes blurry.

Without even realizing it, I notice that the fuel gauge approaches the hateful warning light (declared consumption on the mixed cycle is about 14.3 l/100 km), a predictable situation given how much the DBX is inclined to a sporty attitude. And to think that until a few hours ago I was in a completely opposite scenario, unthinkable for any Aston Martin customer, it’s just mental. Not anymore. I take this opportunity to lower the pace and while I process the various inputs that these first hours of driving have offered to me, I also take the right time to look at one of the most elegant cockpits in which I have had the good fortune to spend driving moments. The DBX represents an apotheosis of soft lines. There is coherence between the familiar front grille – in perfect Aston style but with more generous dimensions than usual – and its tail with the headlights and the small integrated spoiler borrowed from the Vantage. In the luggage compartment there is room for whatever you need for a weekend, a week, or even a month in the mountains, while the three rear occupants have plenty of room for legs and heads and this at the expense of what the rear window line could make you think. However, the place where you want to be will be in front and more precisely in the driver’s seat, with a 12.3-inch fully digital display behind the steering wheel and the second 10.25” screen overlooking the central tunnel. It is not a touch screen, but operating it from the controls located between you and the passenger is more practical. There is a scent of leather, of noble materials and then we know very well that – wallet permitting – you can vent with any imaginable request, since the Q special department will be able to satisfy you, unless you want a submachine gun instead of the rear camera (which is 360°), just as useful in compensating for the dimensions of the car and the small window at the back.

No problem to reach the mountain chalet, even in case of snow, since winter tires have been developed specifically for this model, but the real question remains the one that brought me here to understand if the DBX, arrived a bit late to the performance-SUVs party, keeps with it the true essence that makes an Aston Martin unique and if in an even wider design it can represent something we did not feel the need, but which we no longer can’t miss on our wish-list. So, if we have to run out of petrol, let’s do it right and that’s how, after passing another handful of picturesque villages close to the iconic Nurburgring – not surprisingly essential proving ground for the development of the car’s dynamics – I bring the DBX back to a spirited pace suited to those 542 horses that will not make you miss too much your other Aston, perhaps left in the garage and away from bad weather. The DBX proved to be excellent on dirt and asphalt, but it also surprised in terms of practicality, not to mention total comfort and a look faithful to the distinctive features of the brand, the best way to maintain a family feeling that is now indispensable for make it clear that you did not choose randomly, but in this case with heart and brain as well.

It takes at least € 188,000 and whether it is the second, or third, or fourth, or the only family car, it doesn’t matter. The moment you open the garage door, it will be there winking smugly, aware of the fact that like a trusted boy scout it will always carry everything you need for your most disparate situations, which obviously include practicality, safety and an entertainment that sees it accelerating from 0-100 kph in 4 and a half seconds and reach 291 per hour pretty easily. The DBX was born from a blank sheet of paper, a bet of great importance for a brand that manages to keep up with the times and yet remain tied to its illustrious and glorious past, but never as in this case, the desire to emphasize an imprint on a virgin ground had gone so far from our beloved tarmac. For the DBX the road is not enough, but for 99% of us the DBX can easily be enough.

ASTON MARTIN DBX

Layout   –  front-engined, rear/all-wheel-drive

Engine  –  V8 cylinder V 3.982cc – twin-turbo

Transmission  –  9-speed automatic gearbox

Power  –  542 hp @ 6.500 rpm

                      700 Nm @ 2.200 – 5.000 rpm

Weight  –  2.245 kg

Acceleration  –  4,5 sec.

Top Speed  –  291 kph

Price  –  from € 188,126