Try Aston Martin DBX: a sports car on stilts? AMG V8 power, aluminum generation galore: is it enough to save the company?
The very concept of an Aston SUV would possibly seem contradictory, but SUVs are sold, especially luxury SUVs: the Cullinan is the basis of Rolls-Royce’s new line, and more than a portion of the Bentleys sold last year were Bentayga 4×4.
Aston Martin’s first SUV, the DBX, is with us. It’s been a long wait, the assignment is one of the first green lights that were illuminated through former CEO Andy Palmer when he arrived at Gaydon in 2015. Easier to look than the Bentley or Rolls, the DBX, as befits the badge on your nose – it also promises an absolutely brighter driving experience, it also offers a more convenient shipping (four-wheel drive, cozy pneumatic springs, indoor space shame) than any previous Aston.
There may not be many, but it may not be because the car can’t. On loose, slippery surfaces, the DBX’s intrinsic accuracy: the upper riding position and thin pillars provide perfect visibility, while the direct, sharp guide (2.6 lock turns) and backward-facing powertrain give the driver confidence, making it an attractive place from the asphalt as it’s on.
Aston offers 3 tire options, one summer, a winter and a Pirelli for all seasons, and in the latter, the DBX is unstoppable, driving the climbs with a simple traction push and even more torque AMG V8 before the descent sees it safe. On the other hand, the formula selectively tightens the brakes while working to keep your speed at the speed of walking. Array instead of out-of-control exercise physics would recommend it. With the air suspension lifted, the floor clearance is important.
Is. The seats and driving position are incredibly padded and visibility is excellent, amazement at having used the open area of your St Athan site in Wales (where the DBX factory is now located) to simulate a toy city of crosses, roundabouts and junctions, around which DBX prototypes were sought to evaluate elements such as sight lines and discrete pillars.
The interior area is extremely generous. The second six-foot rowers at the top can comfortably seat the occupants of the six-foot-tall front seats. The quality of the finish, from crushed leather goods to Aston’s new information and entertainment display and behind the wheel, is one or two above the Vantage and DB11. Mercedes electronics deployed here (a generation ahead of speed on the DB11, but a new Merc MBUX) provides DBX generation, such as adaptive cruiser, autonomous emergency braking assistance and, on the infotainment side, a larger screen and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
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Adaptive cruise driving is convenient (the two small DB5 icons that flash when adjusting the car deviation above are a big touch), the help to stay in the lane and the precaution to get out of the lane do not seem to need help. On the move, the noise of the road, since all THE DBXs run at 22, is well suppressed, the cabin strangely silent apart from the murmur of the wind around the external mirrors and, when accelerating, the baritone efforts of the V8.
Speaking of this V8, its functionality combined with the comfort and simplicity of the car means that the kilometers simply melt, the DBX reduces time by saving time in each and every place; far from everyone and everyone and every crossroads, from everyone and every single step, from everyone and every opportunistic step, from everyone and every roundabout.
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Believe it or not, more than any other wonderful SUV of the past. Yes, Gaydon controlled to create a kind of oversteer Porsche Macan. A miracle? Not when you take a look at the portion kit that DBX collects.
The platform is custom designed for the DBX and worked on the beloved Aston aluminum. It is also rigid, soft (the empty weight is 2245 kg) and drives its giant wheels to each and every corner of the car in search of a dynamic and charming proportions. For all other giant oily parts, the DBX chooses a number of beloved OEM products (the active center motion box, for example, to which Aston connects a car carbon fiber transmission shaft!) It was borrowed from AMG E63. S thanks to Aston’s connection to Stuttgart; electronic architecture and infotainment are also based on Mercedes) and the most productive products from leading suppliers, such as ZF’s nine-speed electronic anti-roll and anti-roll anti-roll anti-roll anti-roll anti-roll bars.
Now the dream powertrain? A 4.0-liter biturbo AMG V8, of course, because the Aston Martins require special engines, and the 8 AMG is a muscular, noisy and scathing engine. And then it evolved through a small, motivated, agile team led by Aston’s attribute master, Matt Becker.
We drive it first on a track, which is ridiculous to the point, halfway through the first turn, when you realize that the DBX captures, rotates and communicates like no SUV before it. And on the road? Tighter turns are not the strength of the DBS, physics legislation is not entirely immutable, but there is a grip for resale and impressive frame control, especially in more energetic driving modes (it executes them through the up and down arrows in the center console, the DBX goes up and down on its pneumatic springs as you do).
Find quick turns, manually paint the gearshift palettes fixed on the column (the ratios of five to nine are there to quench the thirst of the V8; the third and fourth will see you convincingly in almost each and every corner) and the Aston is just amazing; Incredibly agile, able to accumulate a slightly plausible turning speed and, through the steering, random driving motion box and active rear differential, able to glide through sharp and fast turns and with totally unpredictable interactivity and touch, your right foot, first actuating the brakes, then the throttle, as worried as your hands as your hands , brain and back. Fun? Oh, yes. As convincing as Aston? More than some of his predecessors, with the help, of course, of the curtains with which they can only dream.
Put aside your emotions about fast and sumptuous SUVs and applaud the DBX for what it is: a short, fashionable masterpiece that is an accomplished circle of family cars (practical, comfortable, spacious, quiet) and surely an Aston Martin. Full of character and more attractive to drive than we had ever dared to dream of, instead of corrupting the badge it wears, the DBX makes it shine even brighter.
In the end, if Aston Martin adds to the list of automakers that shone in the first century of the car but failed to adapt to the demanding situations of his second, it wouldn’t be because the DBX wasn’t smart enough.
Read on to learn about James Taylor’s first since November 2019
Driving in aston Martin’s new SUV – New DBX unveiled On November 17, 2019 – First impressions of Urus’ rival
The 158,000 euro Aston Martin DBX SUV represents a new market, a new logo platform and also a new production plant; will occur in St Athan, Wales, Gaydon.
No Aston has had to do more: not only increase 2245 kg (more than Lamborghini Urus, less than Bentayga) from 0 to 62 mph in about 4.5 seconds and above 180 mph, but also in corners with enthusiasm, secure grip, drive gently, inspire a simple verbal exchange at road height, travel through 500 mm depth , tow 2.7 tons and brings a roof of one hundred kg.
Its competitive ensemble is complicated and Aston has a long list of high-function luxury SUVs: Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, Range Rover Sport SVR, BMW X6 M, Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
To find out how Aston Martin’s ultimate ambitious mission to date is taking shape, we drove a DBX prototype on Oman’s hot, mountainous roads.
Before moving on to the SUV, we revel in the DBX in urban traffic, where the high-end SUV visitor expects it to stand out as much as their rivals Range Rover, Bentley, Porsche and Lamborghini. 70 pre-production prototypes circulating around the world, in cooking deserts, icy snowy landscapes and crash-proof barriers, as Aston prepares the DBX for the clutches of its first consumers this spring.
We sit in plump and supportive sports seats behind a virtual dashboard that will be configurable in the production car but is constant in this car. Several active security systems are not yet connected, the Rolodex displays precautionary messages for active cruiser, lane maintenance assistance and others that are lately being tested on other prototypes. Shine. As the roads become more winding, they are incredibly receptive, but they are well isolated from potholes, while giving you a decent report on the results of the front tires. You can choose between two leadership masses: Comfort and Sport.
We are told that sport is “practically there” in this prototype and feels smart: the right combination of weight and feel. Convenience will be reduced in the popular DBX for lower resistance to parking speeds, depending on drivers’ returns. More than in the past Aston Martins, the DBX is designed to target women and men. In addition, the floating center console includes a garage domain underneath with a domain to keep a small bag out of sight next to its wireless charging dock for smartphones.
The accelerator reaction, the same 4.0-liter AMG twin-engine V8 we know and love in the Vantage, DB11 and Mercedes-AMG, is smoother than ever, just like the gearbox. This is also Daimler, a nine-speed 9G-Tronic car.
On loose but elegant surfaces, it is very easy to incentivize and hold a powerlide, holding the 3rd gear on manual reactive pallets from one corner to the other and immersing itself in the 516 lb-ft reserves of the highly sensitive engine. On permanent running, the DBX is one hundred percent rear-wheel drive, but can gather 47% of its torque at the front when needed, through an open-hand active central differential on the Merc-AMG E63, from which a carbon transmission The shaft is connected to an electronically controlled locking differential at the rear.
Switching from GT to Terrain or Terrain Plus elevates the car to its three-bedroom springs; Press the low button for Sport and Sport Plus stretches the DBX springs accordingly. In total, there is 95 mm frame height adjustment (45 mm taller or less than 50 mm) for pneumatic springs, which are combined with adaptive surprise dampers fixed in double triangles at the front and a multi-arm configuration at the rear.
In front of us, there are nasty-looking grooves and rocks to cross, but the DBX sweeps them away. This is thanks to an inflexible design and eARC, Aston’s vision of electronic rollArray Electric motors allow the car to optimize the protective rings on the fly, back up for effortless wheel movement on rough terrain and develop high speed bar anti-roll on elegant surfaces.
The Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne, among others, have similar formulas, however, the DBX formula is especially strong: up to 1033 pound-feet of force can be implemented on the shaft.
In direct line? Here, the DBX has speed galore. The above-mentioned maximum of 181 mph is quite plausible when you watch the Aston rush through its speeds, not bad for a 2.2-ton car and has a perfect soundtrack to match. The amazing AMG V8 sounds useful when you’re looking and sublime when the faucets are fully open, but it settles into a discreet purring on a cruise. All thanks to the exhaust valves; you may not find any speaker synthesis here.
The infotainment formula is not fully operational in this car, but will use a click-and-click combination of dial and touch panel, with MBUX software similar to the existing Mercedes E-Class, which is not as complex as the formula installed on the new Merc models. There is a threat that this interface will feel unconventional when DBX joins the fray in a market full of buyers interested in the new and more capricious. Visibility is perfect. With the motorized driver’s seat up to the skates, you feel well-incorporated into the car, almost as if you were driving a GT, but you can still see the bonnet finish profiled on the curved board, making you feel comfortable. DBX volume. A driving position that is everything for all men and women is a complicated task, but the DBX succeeds.
There is a dynamic flaw right now, which Aston Martin promises to solve with popular cars. Lately, the stiffness of the front springs is slightly too soft. In a high-speed curve, there is more swing than ideal and an abrupt rebound sensation in the first phase of a turn, which can deprive you of a little confidence in speed.
Other than that, it’s hard not to be inspired by this hard-working prototype, the warmth extends from its brakes into the still-warm night air as darkness is inspired.
There are still rivers to cross from march to March, but in the progression of their maximum car to date, they forget nothing. And raising a lot of dust.
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