Aston Martin DBX

DBX key data

The body is made of bonded aluminium panels and extrusions on a platform developed for this car, although engineers borrowed construction methods from the 2018 Vantage. Marek Reichman's design team gave it the largest grille ever fitted to an Aston Martin, frameless doors and a rear ducktail spoiler. Aston Martin says that spoiler is the reason the DBX has no rear wiper: the airflow it creates keeps the glass clear.

Why Aston Martin built an SUV, and where

Before the DBX, Aston Martin sold sports cars, grand tourers and the four-door Rapide saloon. Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce had already shown that wealthy buyers wanted a high-riding car with a luxury badge, and the DBX was the company's answer to the Bentayga, Urus and Cullinan.

A new factory came with it. Aston Martin converted former Royal Air Force hangars at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, and the DBX became the first model produced there. Press reports at the start of DBX707 production in May 2022 called it the first production car made in Wales in nearly 50 years. The original plan quoted in the old version of this page, about 5,000 cars a year at first and later more, proved optimistic: the best year so far was 2022, with 3,219 sales.

Engines and performance by version

All versions use a nine-speed automatic based on the Mercedes 9G-Tronic. The DBX707 replaced its torque converter with a wet clutch and got shorter gear ratios, which explains much of its quicker response.

By our calculation the V8 delivers about 102 kW per litre in the original DBX and about 134 kW per litre in the DBX S. On the 2,245 kg kerb weight quoted for the first car, that means roughly 5.5 kg per kW for the DBX and 4.3 kg per kW for the DBX707. Our power-to-weight calculator compares those figures with other fast SUVs.

Fuel use is high. The original DBX was rated at 269 g/km of CO2 on the NEDC cycle and 19.7 UK mpg, which works out at about 14.3 l/100 km. Our fuel cost calculator turns that into a yearly bill for your mileage.

Chassis: air springs and 48-volt roll control

The DBX is an SUV that was tuned to drive like a big GT. Its main hardware:

• triple-chamber air springs with a wide height range;
• adaptive dampers;
• 48-volt electric active roll control instead of conventional anti-roll bars;
• an electronic limited-slip rear differential;
• an active centre transfer case that sends torque to the front axle when the rear wheels need help.

The driver chooses between GT, Sport, Sport Plus, Terrain and Terrain Plus, and there is an Access mode that lowers the car for getting in and loading. The old version of this page added that up to 47% of torque can go to the front axle and that the car can wade through 500 mm of water. We keep those as manufacturer figures from launch material, not independently tested values.

Cabin, boot and the 2025 interior update

The first DBX had a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 10.25-inch central screen with Mercedes-sourced software, leather trim as standard and an optional panoramic roof. The old page listed 16-way electric front seats, a 14-speaker, 800 W audio system and a boot of 632 litres with a 40/20/40 split rear bench.

Rear passengers sit a little higher than those in front, which gives them a better view forward. That suits the DBX's role as a family car for owners who also have a sports car in the garage.

For the 2025 model year, announced in April 2024, Aston Martin gave the DBX707 an interior and infotainment system similar to the DB12's, with physical switches for the main functions. The standard 405 kW DBX was dropped at the same time.

Sales: how many DBX have been sold

After the 2022 peak, sales fell as the original car aged and the lineup moved to the more expensive DBX707. By our sum, the six years add up to roughly 14,300 cars.

DBX707, DBX S and the Formula 1 medical car

The DBX707 appeared in February 2022, and the first customer car left St Athan in May. Its four-pipe exhaust, carbon splitter and rear spoiler mark it out, and 22-inch wheels are standard, with 23-inch options. The US launch price was 232,000 US dollars, about €220,000 at the mid-2022 exchange rate.

The DBX S of April 2025 adds 15 kW and can be up to 47 kg lighter with options such as a carbon roof, a polycarbonate honeycomb grille and forged magnesium 23-inch wheels. It reaches 200 km/h 0.3 s sooner than the DBX707. In October 2026 Aston Martin showed a DBX GT, a more comfort-focused version of the DBX S with the same engine.

The DBX is also a familiar sight at Grands Prix. In 2021 it became the official Formula 1 Medical Car, and from the 2023 season the DBX707 took over that job.

Price, safety and rivals

At launch in 2019 the DBX cost 158,000 pounds in the UK and 189,000 US dollars in the USA. The sterling price equals about €184,000 at the late-2019 rate. Later versions cost considerably more.

We found no Euro NCAP or IIHS crash-test rating for the DBX, which is common for low-volume luxury SUVs. Standard equipment at launch included automatic emergency braking, a surround-view camera, LED lights and front and rear parking sensors.

We do not quote EUR prices here because none of these makers publish a single Europe-wide list price. Use our car comparison tool to set any two of them side by side.