The Road Map Out of Limbo

Aston Martin, one of the last of the old-school luxury brands to release an SUV, can turn its fortunes around with the DBX

- Hannah Elliott

In some ways, those intending to buy the $180,000 Aston Martin DBX SUV are more fortunate than those who paid the $682,000 deposit required for its $3 million Valkyrie.

For one, DBX owners have already started receiving their vehicles, far sooner than folks who signed up for the Valkyrie. Aston Martin has yet to deliver even one of the supercars, which it introduced in 2017, though it says shipments may start later this year. There are other things to love about the DBX as well: distinctive exterior styling that takes cues from the elegant Vantage; quality interior materials and technologies on par with Audi, BMW, and Porsche; and the manufacturer’s promise that other powerful variants are still to come.

They can’t arrive soon enough. The Gaydon, England-based manufacturer is forging the most delicate period of its 106-year history right now, facing steep declines in sales and dwindling cash flow as its new majority owner, Lawrence Stroll, tries to fashion it into a British version of Ferrari NV, complete with a Formula One team.

The company has placed its future stability on the broad shoulders of the DBX, its first SUV. Aston is one of the last heritage luxury brands to release one. Last year, pickup trucks and SUVs accounted for almost 80% of all vehicle sales in North America; that number is expected to rise in 2021 and beyond.