DBX-Cellent

Aston Martin desperately needs the DBX to be successful, so thank goodness it’s a cracking good car, then.

- Daryl Lee

It’s probably A pretty safe assumption that Aston Martin has a lot riding on the broad haunches of the DBX, its first SUV. Suffice it to say, the British carmaker has thrown a fair amount of money at it.

Its new factory in Wales was constructed with the express purpose (mostly) of building its new SUV, to say nothing of its development costs and time, which I suspect can only be significant. You see, Aston Martin, unlike the VW Group-owned Porsche and Lamborghini, doesn’t have a giant parts bin from which to draw from.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. It does have Mercedes-Benz, from which Aston Martin gets its V8 drivetrains and electronics. Incidentally, its new CEO is Tobias Moers, ex-head of MercedesAMG who was installed last year, replacing Dr Andy Palmer.

Oh, and did I also mention how, during that leadership change, Aston Martin narrowly avoided bankruptcy, having been bailed out by billionaire Lawrence Stroll?

Given all that, the DBX is positioned to open a runway for this marque to celebrate its 110th birthday in two years’ time.

Right then, no pressure at all. All it has to do is to drag the British carmaker back to profitability, boost its market share in what is increasingly becoming a crowded segment and of course, be a good car in the process.

So, is the DBX a good car, then? Is it worth the S$788,000 Aston Martin wants for it? A price that doesn’t include COE or options, and crucially puts it squarely within the sights of the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Macan?