Aston Martin entered the SUV category with the DBX, powered by the most powerful iteration of the firm’s Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0 litre biturbo V8 with 550 PS and 700 Nm of torque channelled to Mercedes’ 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive.
Although Aston Martin senior manager of global product management Neil Hughes initially said that the company’s 5.2 litre V12 would not fit into the DBX’s engine bay due to its outboard-mounted turbochargers, CEO Andy Palmer has been reported by Road & Track as confirming that the turbocharged bent-twelve will indeed fit, and is therefore a possible addition.
It remains to be seen which gearbox will be paired to the biturbo V12 for application in the DBX, as the larger engine produces 639 PS in the DB11 AMR, albeit with the same amount of torque as the V8. The eight-cylinder engine could potentially give more as the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S cranks out 639 PS and 900 Nm of torque which is paired with the AMG Speedshift MCT 9G nine-speed gearbox and 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive, so it would appear that AMG does have a driveline to handle the V12’s outputs.
There will also be another version at the less extravagant end of the spectrum – a mild-hybrid 3.0 litre inline-six is in the works for the DBX, which will be an adaptation of the M256 turbocharged straight-six unit that produces 435 PS and 520 Nm of torque in the E 53, CLS 53, GLE 53 and the GT 53.
The possible total of three engine choices could potentially offer a wide range of DBX variants, as “we’ll probably do other engine derivatives (and) other spec derivatives, as you do with any lifecycle management,” Palmer told Road & Track. In the same way special-run models have come from the DB11 platform, specials could also materialise from the DBX platform, he added.
For now, twelve-cylinder engined SUVs are represented by the Rolls-Royce Cullinan with its 6.75 litre, 563 hp/850 Nm biturbo V12 and the 6.0 litre, 600 hp/900 Nm biturbo W12 Bentley Bentayga. Might there be an even sportier AMR version of the DBX? “We’re committed to doing an AMR in every one of our range, so that would be an obvious candidate,” Palmer replied.
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