63CRITIC Bloomberg Pursuits February 8, 2021
appetitesand, most specifically,to appealto women.
Accordingtothecompany,asof2019—thelastyearforwhich
datais available—only4%ofthe85,000carsit’seversoldwent
tofemaleowners—aweakstatisticthatmustchangeif Aston
Martinwantstoremainviable.
TheDBXmadeitsdebutin2019,thoughcoronaviruscon-
straintspostponedsalesuntillatelastyear.Specs-wiseit
remainsthesameasthen:A 542-horsepowerV-8engineis
borrowedfromthehandsome
DB11coupeandhits 62 mphin
4.5seconds,respectablymid-
packamongitspeers,such
astheBMWX5andPorsche
Cayenne SUVs. Top speed
exceeds 180 mph.
But a recent week of
test-drivinginthehillsofWest
Hollywood,over thebroad
expanseofBeverlyDriveand
thecurvesaroundHighland
Park,revealedsomeimport-
antnewinformation.
First,theDBXlookslike
thehappymediumbetween
a Jaguar F-Pace and a
LamborghiniUrus;it’smore
chiseledthantheJagbutsofter
thanthe$218,000Italian.
TheSUV’smostdistinctive
feature is the wide “DB”
grille—horizontalslatsstretch
acrosstheentirefrontlikea
sidewayspinstripe.Venting
channels,carvedlikehockey
sticksintothebottomofthe
framelessdoors,helpelon-
gatethelookalongthesides.
Smallairventsthatlooklike
snakenostrilsonthehood
anda highandtightrearend,
completewitha tinyspoiler,
accentuatea sportystance.
Inside,AstonMartinhas
putmoreapparentcareinto
thecabincomponentsthan
it hasinanyvehicleinyears.
Everythingfeelsweightyandwell-made:Theseatsaretrimmed
insumptuousleathersourcedfromlongtimepartnerBridgeof
Weir;an80%woolfabricis alsoavailabletocoverthefiveseats.
The sweeping panoramic roof allows sunlight to
drenchthecabinandcommandconsole,whichis covered
entirelyinleatheranddefinedbya 10.25-inchscreenat
thecenter;a second,12.3-inch screen serves as the instru-
ment panel. (Neither screen is touch-sensitive—that and the
abysmal 15 mpg combined fuel efficiency are the vehicle’s
twomissteps.)AppleCarPlaycomesstandard,asdoesa
360 - degree camera system and ambient lighting that offers
64 different colors in two zones.
Kudos also for a set of creative, practical extras for drivers
on the go: A Pet Pack ($3,400) includes a portable washer for
dogs, while a Snow Pack ($2,165) provides a roof-mounted
ski rack, snow chains, and ( joy!) boot warmers. The Event
Pack ($33,700) borrows from the Rolls-Royce Cullinan play-
book with a fold-down bench
built into the rear bumper, a
modular picnic hamper, and
umbrella storage (umbrellas
not included). Even for those
who can’t or won’t choose
these more expensive options,
theclass-leadinghead-and
legroom, ergonomic sport
seats,dual lifting armrests,
and 54 cubic feet of storage
space with the rear seats
folded make the DBX a pleas-
antly livable daily driver.
Oh, yes—the driving.
That is, after all, what Aston
Martin’s other cars do consid-
erably well. With an almost
5,000-pound hulk and a
chassis that gives it a truck-
tall ride height, the DBX will
never be mistaken for a sports
car. But behind the steer-
ing wheel you’ll find punchy
torque, nimble steering, eager
rear-wheel drive, and firmly
balanced brakes that honor
the Aston Martin reputation.
Adaptive air suspension,
anti-roll control, electronic
adaptive dampers, descent
control, and even a system
thatraisesandlowersride
heightbyalmost2 inches—for
whenyouwanttogooff-road—
make driving the DBX over
any terrain feel smooth and
confidence-boosting.
Betterstill,AstonMartin has hinted it will soon offer a
high-performance “AMR” variant with more power and a
more aggressive suspension. Here’s hoping the automaker
will prioritize those extra DBXs in the production line ahead
of the already outdated Valkyrie.
If the company can find its way out of its other issues,
financial and logistical, the product will carry it just fine. The
DBX, as it turns out, might just be the road atlas Aston Martin
so desperately needs. <BW>TheDBXhas 54 cubicfeetofstoragespacewiththe
rearseatsfolded;sumptuousleathercoversalmosteveryavailable
surface—withtheexceptionofthe10.25‑inchscreenonthe
console and a12.3‑inch one that serves as the instrument panel