Photo: Aston Martin
Founded in the 1930s by the Ministry of Defense, St Athan is also a part of Aston Martin. The British automaker bought 90 acres and three super hangars in 2016 for an all-new facility for the similarly all-new DBX.
Gaydon remains the production site for Aston Martin grand tourers, sports cars, and hypercars while St Athan will soon be tooled for electric vehicles as well. Three years since construction has started, the factory is now operational and expecting the DBX to hit the assembly lines. On the downside, we’ll have to wait until the second quarter of 2020 for “full production” to commence.
“The opening of St Athan is a hugely important milestone in the company’s growth plan and integral to our ambitions as a global luxury brand with a presence in all major sectors of the market,” said chief executive officer Andy Palmer. “I look forward to the first made-in-Wales Aston Martins rolling off the production line next year,” added Mark Drakeford, the first minister of Wales.
If you were wondering if the DBX is new from the ground up, there are two answers to that question. First of all, there’s never been an Aston Martin utility vehicle before it. On the other hand, the Second Century platform is shared with the DB11, DBS Superleggera, as well as the V8 Vantage family.
Under the hood of the DBX, you’ll find a Mercedes-AMG powerplant with 4.0 liters of displacement, wet-sump lubrication (a.k.a. the M177 engine), a hot-V layout for the turbochargers, and more suck-squeeze-bang-blow than the V8 Vantage. A nine-speed automatic transmission from ZF Friedrichshafen comes standard, and there are plans for a V12-engined variant too.
Taking inspiration from Bentley’s Bentayga, the DBX also features a 48-volt electrical system for the anti-roll system designed to keep the luxurious utility vehicle nice and tidy when cornering like a man on a mission. The torque-vectoring rear differential, adaptive dampers, and air suspension also help with on-road dynamics. As for the off-road capability, please don’t ask.
Aston Martin makes a case for the Terrain Plus driving mode, and the approach, departure, and breakover angles are listed as 25.7, 27.1, and 18.8 degrees. In other words, even a Porsche Cayenne is better off the beaten path.
“The opening of St Athan is a hugely important milestone in the company’s growth plan and integral to our ambitions as a global luxury brand with a presence in all major sectors of the market,” said chief executive officer Andy Palmer. “I look forward to the first made-in-Wales Aston Martins rolling off the production line next year,” added Mark Drakeford, the first minister of Wales.
If you were wondering if the DBX is new from the ground up, there are two answers to that question. First of all, there’s never been an Aston Martin utility vehicle before it. On the other hand, the Second Century platform is shared with the DB11, DBS Superleggera, as well as the V8 Vantage family.
Under the hood of the DBX, you’ll find a Mercedes-AMG powerplant with 4.0 liters of displacement, wet-sump lubrication (a.k.a. the M177 engine), a hot-V layout for the turbochargers, and more suck-squeeze-bang-blow than the V8 Vantage. A nine-speed automatic transmission from ZF Friedrichshafen comes standard, and there are plans for a V12-engined variant too.
Taking inspiration from Bentley’s Bentayga, the DBX also features a 48-volt electrical system for the anti-roll system designed to keep the luxurious utility vehicle nice and tidy when cornering like a man on a mission. The torque-vectoring rear differential, adaptive dampers, and air suspension also help with on-road dynamics. As for the off-road capability, please don’t ask.
Aston Martin makes a case for the Terrain Plus driving mode, and the approach, departure, and breakover angles are listed as 25.7, 27.1, and 18.8 degrees. In other words, even a Porsche Cayenne is better off the beaten path.
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