2021 Aston Martin DBX

2021 DBX Photos
 Editors' Pick
Autoblog Rating
8

With attractive styling and a gorgeous yet functional interior, the V8-powered DBX is a legitimate crossover worthy of the Aston badge.

Industry
8
Many times we test high-powered crossovers but view them through the same lens as their performance-oriented siblings. Is this a Mustang? Is this a Porsche? Is it worthy? The list of crossovers subjected to navel-gazing and hand-wringing is long. Rather than fretting over the badge or the shape, it’s helpful to simply judge these vehicles on their merits. After all, the 2021 Aston Martin DBX was created because crossovers are essential, not because Aston ran out of sports-car ideas. The DBX is the first and assuredly not the last crossover in Aston Martin’s 108-year history that’s filled with glittering sports cars and financial unease. The latter is the reason the DBX exists, so as to allow for the former to continue to endure. Put another way: It’s 2021. Ya gotta have a crossover, and it needs to be able to do stuff. The last time I reviewed an Aston, the DB11, I piloted it through the sun-drenched Tuscan countryside at high speeds. Five years later I find myself measuring another Aston under vastly different circumstances on vastly different merits. That’s actually perfect.  The DBX is a crossover that can run, but my first order of business is strapping my son’s rear-facing car seat in the back. It fits pretty well, and even with him right behind the driver’s seat, I still had a decent amount of room. Despite the dramatic roofline, I was able to get him in and out of the DBX with reasonable comfort. A minivan with sliding doors and a low ride height is easier, but the Aston is about as fit for toddler duty as any coupe-styled crossover can be. My son’s reaction? He loved the blue leather with its white stitching and noted the car “yelled.” That’s what an AMG-built turbo V8 sounds like, son. The DBX’s cabin is worth our test car's nearly $211,000 sticker. It’s interesting and stylish, rather than decadent. The all-Aurora blue leather looks and feels expensive. The sea of blue is broken up by a camel-colored Alcantara headliner, the ivory seatbelts and a light olive aspen overlay that accents the center console. The contrasting white stitching is subtle but intricate on the seats and door panels, and the seatbacks and large steering wheel proudly display the Aston badge. There’s no shifter, but the paddles are large and easy to use, returning a satisfying clack. To select park, drive, neutral or reverse, there’s buttons set across the top of the dash, which opens up the console and ties the DBX aesthetically to the cabins of most 21st century Aston Martins. So too does the glass start-stop button centered right in the middle of the dash. Aesthetically, the DBX is perhaps the best example of a brand translating its sporting tradition to a crossover. Narrow your vision to the grille, hood and headlights: that’s an Aston straight out of central casting. The DBX wins points, however, for completing the look. There’s plenty of crossovers that look sporty from the A-pillar forward, but …
Full Review
Many times we test high-powered crossovers but view them through the same lens as their performance-oriented siblings. Is this a Mustang? Is this a Porsche? Is it worthy? The list of crossovers subjected to navel-gazing and hand-wringing is long. Rather than fretting over the badge or the shape, it’s helpful to simply judge these vehicles on their merits. After all, the 2021 Aston Martin DBX was created because crossovers are essential, not because Aston ran out of sports-car ideas. The DBX is the first and assuredly not the last crossover in Aston Martin’s 108-year history that’s filled with glittering sports cars and financial unease. The latter is the reason the DBX exists, so as to allow for the former to continue to endure. Put another way: It’s 2021. Ya gotta have a crossover, and it needs to be able to do stuff. The last time I reviewed an Aston, the DB11, I piloted it through the sun-drenched Tuscan countryside at high speeds. Five years later I find myself measuring another Aston under vastly different circumstances on vastly different merits. That’s actually perfect.  The DBX is a crossover that can run, but my first order of business is strapping my son’s rear-facing car seat in the back. It fits pretty well, and even with him right behind the driver’s seat, I still had a decent amount of room. Despite the dramatic roofline, I was able to get him in and out of the DBX with reasonable comfort. A minivan with sliding doors and a low ride height is easier, but the Aston is about as fit for toddler duty as any coupe-styled crossover can be. My son’s reaction? He loved the blue leather with its white stitching and noted the car “yelled.” That’s what an AMG-built turbo V8 sounds like, son. The DBX’s cabin is worth our test car's nearly $211,000 sticker. It’s interesting and stylish, rather than decadent. The all-Aurora blue leather looks and feels expensive. The sea of blue is broken up by a camel-colored Alcantara headliner, the ivory seatbelts and a light olive aspen overlay that accents the center console. The contrasting white stitching is subtle but intricate on the seats and door panels, and the seatbacks and large steering wheel proudly display the Aston badge. There’s no shifter, but the paddles are large and easy to use, returning a satisfying clack. To select park, drive, neutral or reverse, there’s buttons set across the top of the dash, which opens up the console and ties the DBX aesthetically to the cabins of most 21st century Aston Martins. So too does the glass start-stop button centered right in the middle of the dash. Aesthetically, the DBX is perhaps the best example of a brand translating its sporting tradition to a crossover. Narrow your vision to the grille, hood and headlights: that’s an Aston straight out of central casting. The DBX wins points, however, for completing the look. There’s plenty of crossovers that look sporty from the A-pillar forward, but …
Hide Full Review

Retail Price

$176,900 - $176,900 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 4.0L V-8
MPG Up to 14 city / 18 highway
Seating 5 Passengers
Transmission 9-spd auto w/OD
Power 542 @ 6500 rpm
Drivetrain all wheel
Curb Weight 4,940 lbs
Smart Buy Program is powered by powered by TrueCar®
Autoblog Advertisement