Aston Martin might be traveling through COVID fueled stormy seas these days as it tries to survive, but the company is still committed to try and make decisive moves to preserve its place in the luxury car market. The DBX SUV is finally beginning to roll off the production line, and the company has formally announced that it aims to eliminate regional differences in pricing.
To better understand what this means, one can look at the DBX as an example of this move in action. The DBX is a global model that is aimed primarily towards customers in China and the United States, but pricing tends to be more expensive in the U.S. due to the costs of importing the model here as well as various fees. The company originally revealed that the DBX will have a base price of $192,986 in the U.S. which is a kingly sum. More importantly, it’s also higher than the price paid by consumers in China.
Tobias Moers the newly minted CEO of Aston Martin revealed in an interview with Roadshow revealed that he wants to end this, and aims to do this by “realigning pricing and derivatives in certain markets.” In short, it means that the company wants you to pay roughly the same price, no matter where in the world you live. In the case of the DBX, that means a $13,000 discount, with the revised figure now ringing in at $179,986. While this doesn’t change the fact that a DBX is still an expensive purchase, it does allow the model to compete on a more level playing field with some rivals in the luxury SUV segment.
Along with the DBX, this figurative clearance sale also manages to rope in the Vantage sports car. According to the folks at Roadshow the 2021 Vantage coupe will arrive in U.S. showrooms with a revised price tag of $142,086 which includes the $3,086 destination fee. That’s $7,000 less than a comparable 2020 model. the convertible version is not far behind, with the 2020’s $164,086 MSRP being transformed into $150,086 thanks to the removal of $14,000 from the sticker.
For the moment, both the DBX and the Vantage are only available with V8 engines, but the SUV is slated to perhaps get the V12 in the near future, with separate rumors suggesting a hybrid infused V6 is also in the pipeline. The Vantage’s future is a bit hazier, but we suspect that a V12 will be coming to that model too. While Aston Martin claims that the V12 can’t fit under the hood, there’s no denying that older Vantages with the V12 were popular with buyers, and we suspect that could be the case if such a model were to return with the current model
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.