2023 Aston Martin DBX — The new world-beating supercar of SUVs



By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(June 23, 2022) PHOENIX — The days of the long, black luxury sedan is dead. The shape of prestige, social power and arrival is now the ultra-luxury, ultra-performance SUV. The bigger, the glitzier, the shinier the better. Rolls Royce now has an SUV, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and others in all their quilted-leather, hand-rubbed African Rosewood-paneled fabulosity.


Now Aston Martin, the legendary British sports-car makers first SUV, the DBX is a reality, and the exciting part is they’ve taken the styling vocabulary of their low, sweet super sports cars and have more than successfully turned it into an SUV morphology. It arrives with stage a presence that’s almost intimidating beauty inside and out. Arguably, it could gold medal as the best-looking of them all – and in the echelons of super-SUVs, bragging rights counts for almost everything but it’s far from just a pretty face.

Other than its tiara “supercar of SUVs” crown for beauty, how much does performance and practicality for daily use count? For starters the DBX is powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter 542-horsepower V-8 engine that makes 516 lb-ft of torque delivered via a nine-speed automatic transmission courtesy of Mercedes-AMG performance division. There’s also a high-performance DBX707 model ($239,086) that ups the AMG horsepower to 697 and 664 lb-ft of torque taking performance honors at the top of its class.

The DBX is rear-wheel drive that automatically sends torque to the front axle when slippage is detected at the rear. DBX also delivers a 6,000-pound towing capability and will eagerly take on off-road duties for the rare few who actually take their DBX off-road, with adjustable ride height and descent-control features when not being porte-cochere parked by a Four Seasons valet.

The cabin is replete with cosseting hand-stitched hides, soft-touch surfaces and a microsuede headliner. It can be customized with an endless list of desirable options including richer cabin materials, advanced driver-assist and infotainment technology and connectivity.

The ride quality and handling traits are glass smooth and outstanding with acceleration performance indeed summed up as furious, astounding and in every way — outrageous fun in an SUV that’s simply magical.

Vital Stats:

2023 Aston Martin DBX
Base Price:
$183,500
Price as Tested:
$248,771
Engine/Transmission:
4.0-liter twin-turbocharged 542-horsepower V-8
with a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive
Fuel Economy:
14/20/16 MPG – City/Highway/Combined
Seating: 4

Fab Features:
Gorgeous styling inside and out
Exceptional ride, handling, and performance traits for an SUV
Available with up to 697-horsepower