LUX correspondent Lamya Al Saud with Aston Martin’s newest SUV: the DBX S

Aston Martin’s new DBX S is a combination of the world’s most powerful SUV engine and luxury style from the iconic UK manufacturer. LUX’s Lamya Al-Saud takes a ride, passenger princess style, and is regally impressed

I was surprised when LUX asked me to be our correspondent to test the new Aston Martin DBX S in the Dolomites in Italy. The DBX S itself sounded like quite a machine: a new 727-horsepower SUV from one of the world’s most prestigious manufacturers. But the catch was: I can’t drive, despite my parents telling me to get my licence for years. But it wasn’t an issue, my editor said. It would be a test as a passenger. After all, the most important people in cars like this are those going along for the ride, right?

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The drive took place in South Tyrol in northern Italy. The previous night, we had stayed in a delightful hotel in the village of Brixen. Suitably refreshed in the swanky spa, we got up early and hit the road, me in the passenger seat of a black DBX S with a black interior. Shutting the door to my right, its chic, shiny black leather seats had already been warmed up by the car’s technology.

“The DBX S itself sounded like quite a machine: a new 727-horsepower SUV from one of the world’s most prestigious manufacturers”

The leather felt soft to the touch, and in the middle was an elegant screen where you could plug your phone into for directions and music, and of course, buttons for all the car’s functions. I got to work immediately, adjusted the car’s heating, and had our route ready to go.

As my driver gets in the car, I sense my nerves: would this big SUV lurch me around and make me feel ill? The drive started, the roaring engine loud at first, but my driver turned it down, a feature I wasn’t aware existed.

We started down the really daunting, curvy roads of the mountain onto our trail, and my initial nerves settled as I looked around: the sun shining, gorgeous mountain trees, and classic greenery. The longer we drove, the more ice and snow we started to see. We could even see skiers on the slopes, which made me quite excited and also jealous!

“I could actually relax and enjoy the view, sitting in the soft leather seats, surrounded by the calm, warm, and beautifully finished interior”

Aston Martin introduced the DBX S this year as a luxury car with “F1-level performance.” Fortunately, it’s far more comfortable than an F1 car. The DBX S is the most powerful gas-only SUV, hitting 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in just 3.3 seconds.

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Upgraded turbochargers give it even more punch, while quad stacked exhausts, a new front splitter, and rear diffuser turn heads. You can go all out with a carbon-fibre roof, honeycomb grille, and 23-inch magnesium wheels to shave weight and boost performance. Bottom line? It’s light, loud, handles like a dream, and is luxurious and classy.

“The DBX S is the most powerful gas-only SUV, hitting 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in just 3.3 seconds”

I got to be the passenger princess, enjoying the view, but I was assigned a very important role: passenger DJ. The DBX S comes with Aston Martin’s 800W, 14-speaker Premium Audio system and Apple CarPlay, making it easy to queue up my favourite songs. The sound was incredibly clear and powerful, with deep, rich bass you could feel through the seats and crisp vocals that felt like they were right in front of you.

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From 70s ballads to current pop songs, I really enjoyed being able to control the music. When “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee came on, it sounded especially amazing, the piano was bright and lively, the vocals were perfectly balanced, and the upbeat rhythm filled the entire car, making it feel like we were at a private concert. The quality made the song feel more energetic and immersive, which perfectly matched the drive’s excitement. DJing in a high-speed luxury mobile nightclub, I really did feel like a princess.

“I may not be getting my driver’s licence anytime soon, but if every car ride felt like that, I’d happily stay a passenger forever”

We spent two hours driving through snowy mountain roads, surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. Normally, I get car sick easily, especially on winding alpine roads. I was nervous. But the DBX S completely surprised me. It was effortlessly smooth. Sharp turns didn’t feel sharp. Steep climbs didn’t feel dramatic. I never felt dizzy or nauseous once, which honestly is the highest praise I can give any car. I could actually relax and enjoy the view, sitting in the soft leather seats, surrounded by the calm, warm, and beautifully finished interior that made the whole drive feel cosy and comfortable.

I may not be getting my driver’s licence anytime soon, but if every car ride felt like that, I’d happily stay a passenger forever. I won’t have mine in Black, but a nice Princess-style Baby Pink from Aston Martin’s “Q by Aston Martin” special orders department, while a rich Burgundy interior will do nicely.

astonmartin.com

Photography by Marcus Werner for Aston Martin

We drive the ultimate incarnation of Aston Martin’s four wheel drive SUV supercar

The Aston Martin DBX707 offers a luxury nexus of dynamics, effortless style and performance © Max Earey

Not many of the glamorous supercars from what some people refer to as the golden age of motoring have remained. You can’t buy a new Jensen, Bizzarrini or De Tomaso now. One brand that somehow managed to overcome many bumps its historical road, and remain proudly independent – rather than simply a brand extension of a large conglomerate – is Aston Martin. After teetering on the brink of extinction in the 1980s and 90s, the company is now going through something of a golden era of its own, with the hyper wealthy fighting to get hold of the astonishing Valkyrie hypercar, and the Vantage and DB12 sports cars now appealing to new generations of young, affluent professionals and enthusiasts.

Times have changed, though, and every car company, however sporting its origins, needs to have in its portfolio a type of car that would make its own historic racing drivers cringe. The SUV, a type of big, high, spacious and powerful vehicle, is, arguably, more relevant than a sports car for a new generation of newly minted in countries which are nearly acquiring wealth themselves. Often for good reason: a place with a challenging road infrastructure, or conversely with newly laid roads in a straight line grid, it’s not a place to enjoy a low-slung, hard, riding, agile, high-performance sports car originally aimed for the track.

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That’s where the versatile SUV comes in, and our example of Aston Martin’s own take on this kind of car is in keeping with its history of making cars that stand out. Ours was in bright orange, with a lavish, black and orange accented cabin. The shape may be very different to a classic sports car, but for the moment anyway, one key element remains: a roaring V8 engine with 707PS under the bonnet. This type of engine, which emanates a compilation of wonderful cacophony, depending on how hard and fast you are driving it, is perfect for a sports car where you want to get to that point on the sweeping road where you can push it between 5000 and 7000 rpm.

For a huge SUV, it certainly has the power and the thunder, although arguably, this kind of engine will be less missed an SUV with everything goes electric, than it will in other cars which positively encourage high performance driving.

With 900Nm of torque, this SUV provides a sports car acceleration and high speed

What is a DBX also has his sharpness – in its looks but also in the way it handles, something that is always a challenge for these big cars with high centres of gravity. It is an SUV that actually enjoys being aimed down challenging driving roads. Perhaps not narrow twisting lanes, as it’s quite big and wide, but it would be very much at home on the broad, sweeping curves of Bavaria or southern Tuscany.

There, you can revel as the engine tears through its different tones as it approaches the top of its rev range, rushing you forward ever faster – this is a very speedy car, although all luxury SUVs now are, whether electric or petrol powered. And then, back in the urban environment in which most of these cars spend most of their time, it’s back to being a menacing and rather fun designer tool.

And what about Aston Martin‘s natural home in the stately home-lined lanes of England? We would recommend a different combination if your life is based there: one of Aston Martin’s gorgeous convertible sports cars for high days and holidays, and a 50-year-old rusting Range Rover for the winter months. That way you will stay true to the aristocratic values of this fabled British brand.

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Find out more: Aston Martin DBX707

Online Editor: Isabel Phillips