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Aston Martin DBX debuts at a private event in Moscow

Aston Martin’s first-ever crossover SUV – the DBX – is going to come out into the spotlight in December. However, a private showing just took place for a select group of media representatives and potential buyers in Moscow, Russia.

The luxury automaker has also shed some light at the technical specs of the SUV. As expected, the car draws heavily upon Daimler AG tech and comes powered by the same four-liter, twin-turbo Mercedes-AMG V8 as the Vantage and the DB11. Its output is currently estimated at 550 hp (410 kW) and 700 Nm (516 pound-feet) of torque. Equipped like this, the bulky off-roader will be able to hit 290 km/h (180 mph) in a straight line.

As for the nine-speed automatic transmission, the transfer case and the front-axle coupling system, these all come from the Mercedes-Benz GLE. It should be noted here that the DBX is also Aston Martin’s first 4WD car ever. Previously, the company normally used trans-axle transmission layout in its sports car (with the gearbox close to the rear axle). This layout is highly impractical to use on an SUV, so Daimler AG will provide the entire powertrain instead.

That said, the DBX boasts a proprietary, purpose-built vehicle architecture only partially unified with the DB11 and the DBS models. Unlike the GLE, which houses its engine above the front axle, the Aston has it in the middle between the axles. The cross-axle differentials and driveshafts are also proprietary, and there is an electronic rear diff lock.

Later on, AM plans to make the car available as a hybrid and possibly also release a twin-turbo V12 version that would inherit its engine from the DB1 and DBS.

The SUV measures five meters (16.4 ft.) long and has over three meters (10 ft.) of wheebase. The suspension is height-adjustable, but the range is fairly limited at around 50 mm (2 inches).

The new DBX sports frameless doors and concealed handles. The door seals are neatly concealed behind the door rims, and the pillars are overlaid with glass panes. The cabin takes up to five passengers, including the driver. The infotainment system and the entire safety kit also come from Mercedes; on a brighter side, this means the DBX is Aston Martin’s first vehicle to come equipped with emergency braking, among other things.

Once out on the market, the new luxury SUV will challenge the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Ferrari’s upcoming crossover for customers’ wallets. Production will occur in St. Athan, Wales, where the carmaker just finished building a new factory and is already pushing out first test vehicles.

The United States, Middle East countries and China will become the primary distribution markets. However, the choice of the Russian capital for the premiere is by no means coincidental: the company has received 30 pre-orders during the showing, even though it sold a meager total of 13 cars in Russia in 2018.

AM hopes the newcomer will bolster sales by a factor of two, at least. To that end, it initially intends to produce 5,000 DBX per year, contrasted against 5,117 sports cars it released in 2018. Long-term plans involve 15,000 cars sold annually.

Editor: Andrew Raspopov

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October 11, 2019


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