Aston Martin DBX

Davide De Martis portrayed a thrilling and memorable day: we test drove the new Aston Martin DBX, with the privilege to have the first unit ever appeared on Italian roads

Our journey began in the beautiful town of Limone Piemonte and we travelled to the mystical Via del Sale, an ancient route twisting around Piemonte and Liguria, where tradesmen once used to carry salt from the coast to the hinterland.
We crossed magnificent landscapes with an extraordinary car that surprised us in every detail, a proper icon of class and elegance, mastered like only Aston Martin can do.

According to Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, the wheelbase of the DBX stretches as far out as possible for the wheels to be positioned at the corners of the vehicle which with the low roofline creates the illusion of a smaller car helping make the DBX appear more like a traditional Aston Martin shape. The DBX features swan-hinged doors, while the front grille is the largest ever fitted on an Aston Martin. The DBX is built on its own dedicated platform and, like several Aston Martin models, it is made with bonded aluminium panels and extrusions.

The powertrain and infotainment technologies are borrowed from Mercedes-Benz. The DBX uses Mercedes-AMG’s M177 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that develops 550 hp, The DBX is capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, with a top speed of 292 km/h. Not bad for a 2.245 kg SUV.
A 9-speed automatic gearbox is standard, and towing is rated at up to 2,700 kg. A 48 V electric active roll system counteracts body roll under hard cornering, and the vehicle comes with five driving modes: a default GT, Sport, Sport Plus, Terrain and Terrain Plus with an additional Access mode. An active center transfer case directs torque to the front axle when it is required, and there is also an electronically limited slip rear differential. Adaptive dampers and triple-chamber air springs are both standard, offering a significant range of height adjustment.