Aston Martin DBX SUV kicks off testing on Welsh rally stage
Whereas the DBX Concept was just a lifted Aston, this is a proper SUV.
Automakers that you would expect to be among the final holdouts against SUVs have all capitulated -- Rolls-Royce has the Cullinan, Lamborghini has the Urus and Ferrari has the (code-named) Purosangue. Aston Martin gave us hope when it unveiled the lifted-coupe DBX Concept, but alas, it too has been dragged outside to face the harshness of reality.
Aston Martin today unveiled the first pictures of its upcoming SUV, which is now officially called the DBX. In addition to gaining an official name, it's gained an official form -- that of a proper SUV. So it goes.
Yet, its newfound utilitarian looks still incorporate proper Aston Martin design elements. Up front, the headlights look plucked straight from the new Vantage , and the grille is traditional Aston as well. The back is still a mystery of wacky panels and purposefully misleading taillights. It's unclear if Aston leaned on development partner Mercedes-AMG for any of the DBX's underpinnings.
The automaker plans to unveil the car in the fourth quarter of 2019, and in the year between now and then, it's determined to test the living heck out of the DBX. Right now, it's being manhandled on a rally stage in Wales, but eventually it will be whisked away to the Arctic, the Middle East and everywhere between those two.
Even though the DBX concept debuted as an electric vehicle, it won't be an EV when it reaches production. Automotive News reported earlier this year that the DBX will likely wield V8 and V12 gas engines, as opposed to electrified or diesel offerings. EV aficionados will have to make do with the Rapide E sedan, which will pack 602 all-electric horsepower when it enters production in 2019.
