The Aston Martin DBX S Takes the Super SUV to a Whole New Level
More power, less weight for Aston’s ultra-exotic SUV.
The Aston Martin DBX S takes all the muscular goodness of the the DBX707 and dials it up to 11. The DBX S formula is simple: Add power and reduce weight. The result is a roomy, hyper-luxurious SUV that will thunder from 0–60 mph in about 3.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 193 mph.
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The Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 under the hood of the DBX S now produces 717 hp at 6250 rpm, an increase of 19 hp over the DBX707. The extra power is the result of turbocharger hardware that includes larger diameter compressors borrowed from the 816-hp version of the engine used in the mid-engine Valhalla supercar. Peak torque of 664 lb-ft remains unchanged from DBX707 spec.
The engine drives through a recalibrated version of the AMG Speedshift MCT nine-speed wet-clutch transmission. Upshift points have been adjusted to take account of the fact the engine’s peak power and torque now arrive 250 rpm and 500 rpm higher, respectively, than the in DBX707 version, while downshifts in Sport and Sport+ modes with the transmission in automatic have been made more aggressive.
How Much Lighter Can the DBX S Be?
Tick the right options and you can lighten the big Aston SUV by up to 104 pounds. The optional carbon fiber roof, the largest carbon panel ever fitted to an Aston Martin, will trim almost 40 pounds from the car while lowering its center of gravity, and the optional 23-inch magnesium wheels—the first magnesium wheels ever offered on an SUV—save 42 pounds of unsprung mass compared with the standard 23-inch forged aluminum pieces. A lightweight polycarbonate honeycomb grille is also available as an option.
The DBX S benefits from the suspension enhancements introduced on the DBX707 last year. These include a revised calibration of both the air springs and electronic dampers, increasing transient body control to reduce weight transfer and improve primary ride quality and overall stability.
The standard electronic roll control system means the DBX S rolls by no more 1.5 degrees even at the limit. The carbon-ceramic brakes are also carried over, with 16.5-inch rotors up front and 15.4-inch units at the rear, clamped by six-piston calipers with high-performance brake pads. One small but significant mechanical change is a four percent quicker steering rack designed to improve agility.
Apart from the S badges on the front fenders, the most obvious visual changes over the DBX707 are at the rear, which is dominated by stacked dual exhaust outlets in a redesigned rear bumper flanking a reprofiled diffuser.
These, plus the side sills, can ordered in carbon fiber to trim a further 15 pounds from the overall mass of the DBX S. A new lower livery design available in three colors (Rosso Corsa Red, Trophy Silver, Podium Green) highlights the front splitter and side sills and frames the stacked exhausts.
The DBX S Has Special Stuff Inside, Too
The DBX S interior features a distinctive herringbone design on the seats which is extended to the headlining if the optional carbon roof is ordered. Lightweight Alcantara is used to trim the seats, headlining, center console, lower instrument panels and upper trim, and is blended with semi-aniline leather in high wear locations such as the seat bolsters.
Sporty red seatbelts are an option, and as it’s an Aston Martin, the DBX S can of course be trimmed entirely in semi-aniline leather. The standard audio system is the 800-watt, 14-speaker Aston Martin Premium Audio setup, with a 1600-watt, 23-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system available as an option.
The Aston Martin DBX S will arrive in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of this year. No official word on an MSRP for our market yet, but European pricing suggests the DBX S would retail for about $270,000 excluding any tariffs that may apply.
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by cars. My father was a mechanic, and some of my earliest memories are of handing him wrenches as he worked to turn a succession of down-at-heel secondhand cars into reliable family transportation. Later, when I was about 12, I’d be allowed to back the Valiant station wagon out onto the street and drive it around to the front of the house to wash it. We had the cleanest Valiant in the world.
I got my driver’s license exactly three months after my 16th birthday in a Series II Land Rover, ex-Australian Army with no synchro on first or second and about a million miles on the clock. “Pass your test in that,” said Dad, “and you’ll be able to drive anything.” He was right. Nearly four decades later I’ve driven everything from a Bugatti Veyron to a Volvo 18-wheeler, on roads and tracks all over the world. Very few people get the opportunity to parlay their passion into a career. I’m one of those fortunate few.
I started editing my local car club magazine, partly because no-one else would do it, and partly because I’d sold my rally car to get the deposit for my first house, and wanted to stay involved in the sport. Then one day someone handed me a free local sports paper and said they might want car stuff in it. I rang the editor and to my surprise she said yes. There was no pay, but I did get press passes, which meant I got into the races for free. And meet real automotive journalists in the pressroom. And watch and learn.
It’s been a helluva ride ever since. I’ve written about everything from Formula 1 to Sprint Car racing; from new cars and trucks to wild street machines and multi-million dollar classics; from global industry trends to secondhand car dealers. I’ve done automotive TV shows and radio shows, and helped create automotive websites, iMags and mobile apps. I’ve been the editor-in-chief of leading automotive media brands in Australia, Great Britain, and the United States. And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. The longer I’m in this business the more astonished I am these fiendishly complicated devices we call automobiles get made at all, and how accomplished they have become at doing what they’re designed to do. I believe all new cars should be great, and I’m disappointed when they’re not. Over the years I’ve come to realize cars are the result of a complex interaction of people, politics and process, which is why they’re all different. And why they continue to fascinate me.Read More
