Mike Amour has been a fan of the Aston Martin since he was a boy. He remembers watching James Bond’s Thunderball and being emamoured by the Aston Martin DB5 and its machine guns, ejector seats, and more. Naturally, as he rose the corporate ladder, he got a few Aston Martins for himself, including the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera.
Amour, however, had never driven the DBX and accepted our invitation to drive the luxury SUV for a day. Watch the video below, then dive into our review after the break.
Review
The DBX, which marks Aston Martin’s debut in the SUV category, is fantastic. The steering is pin-sharp, and the drive is agile, despite its hefty weight (2,245kg). The car rockets to a top speed of 291kph and completes the century sprint in a mere 4.5 seconds, thanks to a sonorous 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine.
Its grunts will delight automotive purists but make environmentalists scrunch their eyebrows. The latter will be glad to know that Aston Martin is already developing a mild hybrid and an all-electric DBX, as part of its plan to electrify 90 percent of its fleet by 2030.
There is also ample boot space. Knocking down the back seats gives you 638 litres of room to store multiple golf bags and your furniture hauls.
On the outside, petrol heads will recognise the classic vane grille and thin oval headlights, and the designers have done a brilliant job translating the Aston Martin style to SUVs.
But the interior is where the DBX shines.
Almost everything is slathered in gorgeous buttery leather from the family-owned Bridge of Weir in Scotland. The rest of the spots are rendered in either metal or plastic and nothing feels cheap or overwrought. According to Aston Martin, the interior requires just over 200 hours of stitching, crafting and assembling — and it shows.
The carmaker also tapped on a female advisory board, who shared their opinions of the DBX during its development. It speaks to Aston Martin’s vision to be as inclusive as possible. The British marque is synonymous with the gentlemanly — and occasionally misogynistic — charms of James Bond, but understands the importance of diversity in today’s era. As chief creative officer Marek Reichman shared in an interview with WhichCar from Australia, it’s about “usability, the feeling of safety, the feeling of being in control of the [vehicle]. It’s not about pinking it and shrinking it, because that’s not what the female customer wants. It’s just the ergonomics of size. How do you use the car as a female customer?”
It’s working. While 92 percent of its other models are owned by males, the DBX boasts 15 percent female ownership globally. In China, it’s more dramatic, with a 60:40 ratio of male to female owners.
The DBX has already garnered 20 percent market share in the luxury SUV market, and I expect it to grow higher. But, Aston Martin isn’t stopping there. It’s releasing the DBX707, the most powerful luxury SUV in the world, at the end of quarter 3. How powerful? A century sprint of 3.3 seconds.
But don’t just take my word for it. Try it out yourself. Register your interest for the Aston Martin DBX707 here.