First Aston Martin DBX drives off the production line

Nearly eight month after it was officially revealed, DBX, the first SUV in Aston Martin’s 106-year history has rolled off the production line.

The DBX is also the first Aston Martin to be produced at the brand new manufacturing facility at St Athan in Wales.

With around 80 per cent of the vehicles produced expected to be exported and sold overseas, the DBX is an important model for Aston Martin.

Aston Martin has high hopes of the DBX helping it increase its presence in markets where SUVs are preferred over rear-wheel drive sportscars.

The body structure, built using bonded aluminium construction method, is both light and stiff, helping keep the overall kerb weight to 2,245kg.

Power comes from the same 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine found in the DB11 and Vantage, churning out 550 horsepower and 700Nm of torque, helping propel the DBX from 0 to 100kph in just 4.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 181mph (291kph).

It also features an adaptive triple volume air suspension, combined with the latest 48v electric anti-roll control system and electronic adaptive dampers. The suspension lets ride height be raised by 45mm or lowered by 50mm, adding to the DBX’s capability to tackle a wide range of terrain.

Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Executive Vice President & Chief Creative Officer, who was at St Athan to witness the completion of the first SUV designed by his team, said: “We are incredibly proud of our first SUV, which is as much of an Aston Martin as any one of our sports cars. From my design team to the engineers, the vehicle dynamics team and all the experts who hand-craft this beautiful car, here at St Athan, the DBX has become the car that will drive Aston Martin into a bold new era.”

Aston Martin Interim Chief Operating Officer, Keith Stanton, said: “It is a real privilege to be here today to witness the completion of the first production Aston Martin DBX. I’m extremely proud of the Aston Martin team who have worked so hard to transform this ex-Ministry of Defence site into a world-class car manufacturing facility, to now be producing cars, it is testament to the resilience and fortitude of everyone at Aston Martin.”