When we last drove the Aston Martin DBX, we fell in love with the delightful noises that emanated from its twin-turbocharged V8 and the way it managed to blur the line between a sports car and a sports utility vehicle when it came to going through the motions. However, we were curious to see how the DBX would accommodate smaller engines especially considering the company’s strong partnership with Mercedes-Benz. The world got a glimpse of this future today with the all-new DBX straight-six model.
Fewer Cylinders Means More DBX Fuel Economy
Before we get into the details surrounding this flavor of DBX, we might as well address the elephant in the room and inform you that this version will be limited to the Chinese market only. While this means that the rest of the world will have to wait a bit longer to experience it, we can still gather some obvious information from these Chinese spec models. While it legally serves as a response to China’s high taxes, the new engine is also a play for furl economy too, with the model benefitting from the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. The engine is hooked up to a green-focused hybrid system which allows the combination to produce 435 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque. It can also get 22.4 mpg when tasked with urban commuting, but with that figure listed in the European WLTP style versus China’s efficiency standard, it will be interesting to see what it can really achieve.
These figures are on par with AMG-53 models, and like those models, the DBX sends its power to all four wheels through a Benz sourced all-wheel-drive system. The sprint to 62 mph is slightly slower than the V8, with Aston claiming that the six-cylinder DBX can do the deed in 5.4 seconds with top speed logging in at a slower 161 mph. Aston claims that the DBX will make up for its slight deficits in velocity by offering an impressive array of standard goodies, including an adaptive air suspension, a carbon-fiber driveshaft, and even six-piston front brakes.
Unchanged Exterior And Interior Give DBX Straight-Six Quick Road To Production
With all the updates under the hood, it should come as no surprise that the exterior and the interior of the DBX carry over essentially unchanged, with only minor tweaks being needed to accommodate the green technology (i.e., a model exclusive suite of readouts in the gauge cluster.)
That means that Chinese customers will not have to wait long to order one, with the British firm opening up ordering for the DBX Straight-Six. A base model will start at 1.898 million Chinese Yuan, which rounds out to $297,400 when currency exchange laws are factored in. Look for Aston to use the Chinese market as a testbed to help gain real-world experience with the hybrid straight-six engine and perhaps use the data gleaned from this initial global debut to help prepare the straight-six for duty in other markets, including the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
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.