Aston Martin joins SUV bandwagon; testing of its prototype SUV begins

With luxury/performance automotive manufacturers like Porsche, Bentley, Maserati and Rolls-Royce entering the SUV segment with models like the Cayenne, Bentayga, Levante and Cullinan, Aston Martin too has joined the party with the DBX to grab its share of the pie in the lucrative SUV segment. The DBX is Aston Martin’s first SUV and the company has begun the testing of the fully camouflaged development prototype near the Welsh Rally stages in Wales. This is a part of the early development phase of the DBX SUV and an extensive testing programme for the DBX is on the cards, says Aston Martin. The SUV will be tested in cold Arctic conditions and the scorching deserts in the Middle East to the high Alpine passes in Europe, says the company. The SUV will also be tested at the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife test track.

The development prototype sports a panoramic sunroof which extends to the rear passengers. The roof gently flows down to a raked rear windshield to form a coupe like rear end. It also features a large rear spoiler and round LED tail lamps. The prototype SUV gets twin exhaust units. The wheel arches are flared lending it a muscular look. The DBX will be built at the company’s St Athan facility in the UK. The manufacturing facility will also be used to produce the company’s EV models at a later stage. The DBX will make its public debut in Q4 of 2019. The company has not provided any details of the technical specifications of the DBX as of now.

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On his drive in the DBX development prototype, Aston Martin chief engineer, Matt Becker, said, “We have already developed and tuned DBX in the driving simulator, which has enabled us to make excellent progress in advance of the first physical prototype cars being available. Still, it’s always a big day when you get to put the first actual miles on an early prototype and I’m delighted with the near perfect correlation between the simulator and this prototype. As an engineer, it’s genuinely exciting to get a feel for the car you’re working to create. DBX is a very different kind of Aston Martin, but we will be testing it in all conditions and across all terrains to ensure it delivers a driving experience worthy of the wings badge.”

Aston Martin Lagonda president and group CEO, Andy Palmer said, “Seeing a DBX development prototype in action is a momentous chapter in the story of our first SUV, for it is the moment it really comes alive. DBX is so much more than ‘just’ an SUV; it will be the first model built at our brand-new facility in St Athan. As such, it is very much the start of a bold new era in the company’s long history.”

Here is the video of the Prototype DBX being tested: