The 2020 Aston Martin DBX has made yet another
appearance in test prototype form, this time on the famed Nürburgring
Nordschleife track. Not many SUVs look like they belong on the “Green Hell” but the DBX
appears poised and in complete control in these photographs taken earlier this
week. The super luxury sports utility vehicle features the same camouflage as
the last time we spotted it but this time we also get a peek inside.
While the dashboard, door cards and center tunnel are
still covered with black plastic in order to keep the final design hidden from
view, we get a clearer look than before at the buttons and switches found
inside the DBX, as well as the two massive displays and the steering wheel.
If you’re familiar with the latest crop of
Mercedes-Benz models you’ll recognize many of the controls and tech inside
Aston Martin’s first-ever SUV. The central infotainment display is clearly
sourced from Mercedes, as are the climate control area, buttons and switches on
the center tunnel, and even the steering wheel. Look closer and you’ll also spot
a Mercedes-branded key fob resting on the center tunnel. Don’t worry, though,
the three-pointed star will be replaced with Aston Martin’s winged logo when
the DBX debuts in December.
It’s common knowledge that the British luxury car
manufacturer will source more than interior components and infotainment tech
from Mercedes. The DBX will launch with an AMG-built twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8
shared with the Vantage and expected to deliver 503 hp and 685 Nm of torque in base spec.
Tuned to suit Aston Martin’s preferences, the power
plant will likely be linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission and a
rear-biased AWD system. Later on, the DBX is also expected to offer Aston’s own
5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 and a Mercedes-sourced hybrid powertrain early in the
next decade. Series production is on track to begin in the second quarter of 2020
at Aston Martin’s new St Athan plant in Wales, with the DBX going on sale in
the first half of next year.
