The Aston Martin DBX is one of the cars we've gradually gotten more excited about this year, partly because it's the first of its name, but also due to company being tight-lipped about its technology.
The DBX was a big star at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where we got the feeling that it might be powered by an AMG 4-liter V8 engine. Aston also has its setup, the 5.4-liter bi-turbo V12, codenamed AE31, but it makes sense to star with the V8 first.
Power-wise, the normal DBX should have 500-520 horsepower and the Performance V12s will go over 600. There's even a rumor about drift mode being offered in the SUV, something that's easy to implement but potentially hazardous.
It's what most people want, and eight-cylinder engines didn't stop other luxury SUVs from doing well - Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, and G63. But what about the interior, what can the small Aston Martin business possibly offer in this all-important department?
The answer is simple: more Mercedes tech. We still don't know what the Germans are getting out of this deal, but they are allowing Aston access to their good components. This latest set of spyshots, captured at the Nurburgring, reveal what's going on.
The first thing we noticed was the screens. There's two of them, probably 12-inch ones, but separated. The layout and maybe the tech is more like that in the GLC-Class facelift model than the S-Class or GLE.
The steering wheel, on the other hand, is missing its airbag but is easily identified by its buttons and the shifter. Are they actually going to leave it like that? Because it's going to be a bit obvious. The switches for the air conditioning, the buttons on the doors and the infotainment controller all come from the same German shop, as does that key fob.
Of course, this isn't the finished product, as Aston has their own trademark look which currently features forged carbon dashboard trim and leather wraps.
Power-wise, the normal DBX should have 500-520 horsepower and the Performance V12s will go over 600. There's even a rumor about drift mode being offered in the SUV, something that's easy to implement but potentially hazardous.
It's what most people want, and eight-cylinder engines didn't stop other luxury SUVs from doing well - Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, and G63. But what about the interior, what can the small Aston Martin business possibly offer in this all-important department?
The answer is simple: more Mercedes tech. We still don't know what the Germans are getting out of this deal, but they are allowing Aston access to their good components. This latest set of spyshots, captured at the Nurburgring, reveal what's going on.
The first thing we noticed was the screens. There's two of them, probably 12-inch ones, but separated. The layout and maybe the tech is more like that in the GLC-Class facelift model than the S-Class or GLE.
The steering wheel, on the other hand, is missing its airbag but is easily identified by its buttons and the shifter. Are they actually going to leave it like that? Because it's going to be a bit obvious. The switches for the air conditioning, the buttons on the doors and the infotainment controller all come from the same German shop, as does that key fob.
Of course, this isn't the finished product, as Aston has their own trademark look which currently features forged carbon dashboard trim and leather wraps.