Aston Martin’s
characteristic
mustache grille
looks good on an
SUV. Under the
hood is a 542 - hpfrom all angles. Aston’s familiar grille works
well on the tall body of the DBX—much better
than the grafted-on styling treatments of the
Bentayga or Cullinan. “We wanted to make the
most beautiful SUV in this space, not necessar-
ily the quickest,” Aston CEO Andy Palmer says.
“Although it is extraordinarily quick.”
Palmer says he ordered work on an Aston
Martin SUV just four days after taking control
of the company in 2014. The goal was to create
a vehicle that would broaden the brand’s appeal
in Asian markets. Despite a sizable 198. 4-inch
length, the DBX will be the shortest ute in its
superpremium segment—a huge 11.9 inches
less than the Cullinan. Yet practi-
cality is high, with a good amount
of room front and rear, 22 cubic
feet of cargo space, and a driving
position with enough adjustment
to accommodate anyone from a
—
Chief engineer Matt Becker
admits the DBX’s off-road
prowess emerged as a
byproduct of the engineer-
ing targets the companyGETTING DIRTY