- The 2020 Aston Martin DBX has been high-speed testing on the Nurburgring in Germany.
- The DBX will be the automaker’s first crossover.
- Production will begin in St. Athan, Wales in mid-2020.
- CEO Andy Palmer said production shouldn’t exceed 5,000 units each year.
- The production model may get a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, a 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12, or even a hybrid V6 variant.
The Aston Martin DBX aims to be a serious performer.
Even though Aston Martin’s first crossover will certainly be luxurious in its own right, we don’t expect the new DBX to be pokey when it comes to performance either. For all the Bentley Bentaygas and Rolls-Royce Cullinans out there, you also have cars like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Lamborghini Urus out there. Spy photographers recently caught the 2020 Aston Martin DBX testing on the Nurburgring, again, and clearly the automaker is still focusing on performance, just as much as it does with its conventional sports coupes like the Vantage all the way up to the DBS Superleggera.
From what we’ve seen so far, the 2020 Aston Martin DBX won’t be a massive, cumbersome SUV. Its proportions are closer to the Audi Q8 and Lamborghini Urus than something like a Cullinan or a Bentayga. Aston Martin developed a new platform for a more rugged, off-road capable crossover. Although, it will carry over some of the components and construction processes the automaker uses to build its other sports cars. Things like the suspension and braking system will get unique tuning to handle the extra mass, being a crossover.
Powertrains
What likely won’t change, however, will be what powers the DBX. Right now, it seems the 2020 Aston Martin DBX will most likely debut with a Mercedes-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine. That would be an offering similar to the current Vantage and DB11. Currently, the Mercedes-AMG M177 engine produces 503 horsepower and 498 lb-ft of torque in the DB11. Aston Martin’s 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12 is also a possible, with at least 630 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. If the latter engine actually makes its way to the DBX, we may have a decent fight between it and the Lamborghini Urus on our hands.
As emissions regulations tighten each year, it’s also likely we’ll see a V6 hybrid powertrain in the 2020 Aston Martin DBX.
Interior
Spy photographers also managed to catch one shot of the DBX’s interior. There are a few differences from other Aston Martin interiors, namely with the infotainment screen and the instrument cluster. Now, this is a prototype, so it’s likely the top of the dashboard is missing on this model, and the cluster won’t stick out like that on the production version. However, what is notable here is that the infotainment screen doesn’t stick out like it does in the DB11 and the Vantage. The center console does look pretty similar, with Mercedes switchgear for the climate and infotainment controls.
Aston Martin currently plans to start production at its St. Athan, Wales plant in mid-2020. In time, the plant will also build an electric Rapide sedan, as well as two Lagonda models, among others.
