Orders open for Aston Martin DBX

ASTON MARTIN’S first SUV, the DBX, will slip into the middle of an increasingly crowded sports-luxury SUV pack at $357,000 plus on-road costs when it arrives in Australia in the middle of next year.

Cheaper than Lamborghini’s $390,000 Urus and Range Rover’s $403,670 SV Autobiobraphy but more expensive than the $334,700 Bentley Bentayga and $330,000 Maserati Levante Trofeo, the DBX will be revealed in full in Beijing on November 20.

This also makes it more expensive than Aston’s most affordable sportscar in Australia, the V8 Vantage coupe that retails for $299,950, but cheaper than others, such as the $374,995 DB11.

Along with the pricing announcement, the British marque today revealed an image of the DBX’s leather-swathed interior to whet the appetite of potential customers who, if they want to get in the queue, can place an order immediately.

While the DBX sits on a bespoke Aston Martin chassis, its powertrain leans heavily on Mercedes-AMG expertise, borrowing the German company’s 404kW 4.0-litre biturbo V8 and nine-speed automatic transmission.

The company is claiming class leading interior space for the DBX which is clearly bigger than teaser photos would suggest.

Reportedly weighing 2245kg, the DBX sits on a long wheelbase that helped to free up room inside.

Aston Martin says its designers took more than six months just to define the position of the driver within the vehicle.

“Crucially, the seating position also delivers a clear view of the bonnet to give confidence when in tight proximity to other cars,” it says in a press release accompanying the photo of the interior.

The centre console has a bridge design, allowing for larger items such as handbags to be stored below.

Aston says its experience with squeezing legroom out of its sportscars helped it to maximise space, particularly in the second row.

Customer clinics to define the ergonomics included children to simplify the entry and exit process for smaller individuals.

Aston promises “a fantastic feeling of airiness thanks to the full-length panoramic glass roof and expansive side windows”.

According to British reports, the DBX gets 48-volt active anti-roll bars to keep the vehicle flat in the corners.

Like other SUVs of this ilk, the DBX drops lower to the tarmac – by 30mm in this case – when driven on the road and can be raised by 45mm for off-road clearance.

Production of the DBX is planned to start in Aston’s new Wales factory before the end of this year, with Australia deliveries expected by the middle of 2020.