Aston Martin DBX S | PH Review
The new flagship DBX has 727hp to recommend it. Anything else?
When PH sat down to talk to Adrian Hallmark, Aston’s then-new CEO, at the start of the year, among the many things he emphasised was a) the requirement for more profitable and better defined derivatives of its existing models, and b) that the DBX, as good and popular as it was, had underachieved given the global demand for fast, luxurious SUVs. Eight months later, as if by magic, we have the new DBX S, a flagship version of Aston’s SUV that develops 727hp and costs from £210,000. By design, as we’ll see, most will leave the factory costing considerably more.
Of course, the S badge itself long precedes the current CEO’s tenure - by as much as 70 years, to hear Aston breathlessly tell it (though even it concedes a more sensible reference point would be the Vanquish S introduced in 2004). At any rate, there is also now a Vantage S in the current lineup, and it’s a fairly safe bet that this won’t be the last time we see the letter adorning an Aston front wing. While it was suggested on the launch - and in the associated press bumf - that the flagship represents a genuine attempt to move the performance needle, the idea that Aston is simply pursuing bragging rights over the likes of the Lamborghini Urus is a persistent one.
Not least for the very short distance the needle has actually moved. The DBX707, itself not exactly long in the tooth, already provided Aston buyers with the option of an SUV that exceeded (just in case some context were needed) the peak output available to Ferrari Enzo owners. The 20hp supplement barely qualifies as half an almond in your protein shake; indeed, the 0-62mph time remains at 3.3 seconds, as does the 193mph top speed. Peak torque is unchanged at 664lb ft.
The modest difference in numbers is mildly surprising when you consider that the turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 has, in fact, adopted the larger diameter compressors used to great effect in the Valhalla - a technical migration that has slightly raised the engine’s cooling requirements. Or that you can save almost 50kg from the standard DBX’s kerbweight if you start ticking option boxes. These are numerous: there’s a new carbon fibre roof (the largest composite part ever fitted to an Aston), giant 23-inch magnesium wheels (said to be a first for any SUV), a lightweight polycarbonate honeycomb grille (taking its cue from the DBS 770 Ultimate) and the wing mirrors, side strakes, sills, rear bumper and diffuser can all be exchanged for carbon fibre alternatives.
On the basis that the S still tips the scales at very nearly 2.2 tonnes even with everything swapped out, you might reasonably wonder about an almond-sized difference here, too. But weight removed from high up (the roof) and from unsprung mass (the wheels) is always a good idea, and Aston suggests that as well as lowering the centre of gravity, you’ll have also shifted the weight distribution rearward. Plus, of course, you’ll have splashed a significant amount of extra cash to make your DBX S live up to its on-paper billing. Which, as we’ve covered, is high among the reasons for offering the range-topper in the first place.
If that seems like an annoyance as a buyer, we’d advise you to grumble about it before climbing into the driver’s seat, because once there it becomes progressively more difficult to care about anything external to the experience. The DBX’s reputation as a pliant and very persuasive sort of SUV hotrod remains wholly intact; we hardly need discuss its deficit in power versus the hybridised 800hp Urus SE, because the S towers above it in charisma almost from the moment its V8, newly endowed with a vertically stacked exhaust, settles into an angry, reactive idle. There is absolutely no pretence here that the flame-throwing DBX is going to mooch anonymously about the place. It’s like driving around Mallorca in the Oppenheimer movie: big, rhythmic, expensive-looking and liable to explode.
Granted, the facelifted DBX707 established much of this backdrop, and any change felt is inevitably evolutionary in nature - but the ride quality, which was already impressive, has certainly not suffered for wheels that are 19kg lighter, nor the change of direction for a steering ratio that is 4 per cent quicker. The latter was introduced partly to subtract half a metre from the SUV’s turning circle (a reminder of just how much slow-speed urban driving DBX owners partake in) but it still seems nicely geared to work with the S’s revised suspension settings. Understandably, Aston has sought a fraction more agility from the chassis, though this never seemed in particularly short supply given its 48-volt anti-roll system. For its size, the DBX is still remarkably good at joining up corners.
Fun, too. Although this has much to do with the engine and its eagerness to cater to every facile whim. Its power upgrade may well be negligible, but Aston says the improved turbos facilitated a tweak of the V8’s torque curve, thereby increasing the sense of high-rev crescendo. This, along with the weight loss, has apparently helped to trim 0.3 seconds from the 0-124mph time, though mostly it’s about thrill-factor - and the DBX S has this quality in abundance. Very recent experience of the Range Rover Sport SV and Audi RS Q8 performance, both equipped with ferocious eight-cylinder engines, highlights the gonzo-level of silliness Aston has successfully harnessed.
Everything else, it must be said, falls into place neatly around it. Make of the enhanced appearance (i.e. the new grille, splitter, sills, diffuser) what you will; the interior, S-badged embroidery and Alcantara trim aside, is much the same (i.e. very pleasant and now with Apple Carplay Ultra) though it’s worth calling out the timely appearance of Aston’s dash-mounted shortcut button for switching out the ADAS. Not for nothing, but the manufacturer also went to the trouble of doing away with the soft limiter that prevented the V8 from being enthusiastically revved when stationary. It will now win you friends and influence people up to 6,000rpm. That instinct, writ large, is what the DBX S is all about. Take it or leave it.
SPECIFICATION | Aston Martin DBX S
Engine: 3,982cc V8, twin-turbocharged
Gearbox: nine-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power: 727hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 664lb ft @ 4,500rpm
0-62mph: 3.3 secs
Top speed: 193mph (limited)
Kerbweight: 2,198kg
MPG: TBC
CO2: TBC
Price: £210,000 (starting price)
Now yes, that will appeal to some people; it would probably appeal to me if I were in the market, and I know we have some DBX owners on here. But it doesn't appeal to the people who don't care about cars but really want you to know how much they've spent on theirs, and I suspect that is a far larger market.
Probably they need to bring in something like a Valhalla-ified SUV, all drama and ego. It could share the same platform as the DBX underneath, with a different body and a slightly lower price point than the DBX. That would satisfy what that particular market wants.
But other than an S badge is this really bringing much to the party over the previous 707? Is 20hp really that significant when your over 700 anyway ?
Early DBX are 50 grand cheaper than a used Urus too.
Forums | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff