Photo: Aston Martin
Based on the Second Century rear-wheel-drive platform of the DB11, DBS Superleggera, and Vantage, the all-wheel-drive sport utility vehicle that Aston Martin calls DBX has received yet another Mercedes-Benz engine.
Codenamed M256, the 3.0-liter sixer is rocking an electric auxiliary compressor (eZV) as well as an integrated starter/alternator system to minimize lag and improve fuel economy. The 48-volt ISG further assists the straight-six engine whenever you floor it, and Merc uses this engine in quite a few vehicles, ranging from the previous-gen S 450 to the all-new S 500.
Currently exclusive to the People’s Republic of China, the 2022 Aston Martin DBX Straight-Six (seriously, that’s how it’s called) produces 435 metric horsepower and 520 Nm of torque. If the British automaker does expand availability to the United States of America, this variant will therefore make 429 mechanical horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque.
Those numbers perfectly match the M256 in the Mercedes-AMG GT 53 4Matic+, which isn’t worthy of the AMG suffix because the straight-six engine isn’t assembled in Affalterbach by hand by a single individual from start to finish. In a straight line, the DBX Straight-Six does not impress either: zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) takes 5.4 seconds while top speed is rated at 259 kilometers per hour (161 miles per hour).
Just like the V8-engined variant, the sixer channels the goodies to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission supplied by Mercedes-Benz. The 9G-Tronic is the culprit, a tranny introduced in 2013 in the E 350 BlueTEC. JATCO, Nissan’s transmission division, makes the 9G-Tronic under license as the JR913E for many vehicles, including the all-new Z.
Over in the Middle Kingdom, the Aston Martin DBX Straight-Six is available to configure from 1,898 million yuan. That’s almost $300,000 at current exchange rates compared to $360,000 for the V8-engined variant.
Currently exclusive to the People’s Republic of China, the 2022 Aston Martin DBX Straight-Six (seriously, that’s how it’s called) produces 435 metric horsepower and 520 Nm of torque. If the British automaker does expand availability to the United States of America, this variant will therefore make 429 mechanical horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque.
Those numbers perfectly match the M256 in the Mercedes-AMG GT 53 4Matic+, which isn’t worthy of the AMG suffix because the straight-six engine isn’t assembled in Affalterbach by hand by a single individual from start to finish. In a straight line, the DBX Straight-Six does not impress either: zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) takes 5.4 seconds while top speed is rated at 259 kilometers per hour (161 miles per hour).
Just like the V8-engined variant, the sixer channels the goodies to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission supplied by Mercedes-Benz. The 9G-Tronic is the culprit, a tranny introduced in 2013 in the E 350 BlueTEC. JATCO, Nissan’s transmission division, makes the 9G-Tronic under license as the JR913E for many vehicles, including the all-new Z.
Over in the Middle Kingdom, the Aston Martin DBX Straight-Six is available to configure from 1,898 million yuan. That’s almost $300,000 at current exchange rates compared to $360,000 for the V8-engined variant.
Google News