Aston Martin is following the lead of Bentley and Rolls-Royce with its own take on a luxury off-roader.
The DBX Concept was shown at this year’s Geneva motor show which looks for all the world like a DB9 that has a 10 tonne lorry run up its rear end.
Aston Martin has now confirmed plans to build the opulent high-riding SUV, having received a $387 million cash injection from its shareholders to expand beyond its current line-up.
Aston Martin has already toyed with the notion of an SUV on two previous occasions. The first was the Lagonda concept displayed at the 2009 Geneva motor show, while the most recent was the much more smooth, coupe-like DBX concept revealed at this year’s Swiss expo.
Newly-appointed CEO, and former Nissan executive Andy Palmer confirmed the DBX will form the basis for its first-ever production SUV following its more positive reaction from critics and customers alike. The investment will also include development for new platforms that will underpin replacements for its long-standing Vantage, DB9 and Vanquish coupes.
DBX
“This additional long-term funding will enable us to add extra model lines and broaden our presence in the luxury market segment by the end of the decade,” he said.
“The DBX concept has generated interest far beyond our expectations. The additional investment announced today will allow us to realize the DBX and other new luxury vehicles that will form the strongest and most diverse portfolio in our history.”
The Aston Martin DBX will compete with rival SUVs currently under development from Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Both are expected to be more conventional-style wagons than Aston’s high-riding two door coupe concept. However, Lamborghini has toyed with a similar idea for its Urus that is due in 2018.
While Aston Martin revealed the DBX as a fully electric concept – powered by in-wheel motors and featuring a Lithium-sulphur battery pack – the production model is understood to be driven by a conventional combustion engine. It has yet to provide any official technical details on the DBX, but it is expected to further leverage the British brand’s tie-up with Daimler, which will supply electronic architecture for all future models as well as engines from its performance division, Mercedes-AMG.
A report in the UK’s Financial Times last week indicated Aston Martin is looking for production facilities in the USA to build the DBX, as its current factory in the British midlands is unlikely to have the capacity to meet the expected demand, particularly from markets such as China and Middle East.
The speculation lends weight to the notion that the DBX could be based on the new Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV range and built alongside at its plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Incest is rife in the automotive industry.)
