DB11 Coupe

Segment
Coupe

We already know that Aston Martin won't fit an all-electric powertrain to its upcoming DBX crossover, slated to be unveiled in 2019. Instead, the British carmaker has (wisely) opted for V8 and V12 engines in order to better situate the DBX as a Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus fighter. And now Autocar has learned that Aston Martin has officially approved the DBX production-spec design. How will it differ from the rather sleek-looking concept?

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer has confirmed much of the DBX concept's styling will be carried over but "There are aspects of the car that have changed dramatically – perhaps none more so than the fact that it is now a four-door…but in terms of the pure lines and the fundamental core principles of the car, you'll recognize them." Okay, so that's good, but we're still a little stumped as to how Aston Martin think the production DBX will be large enough to take on that big Bentley. We saw the DBX concept in the flesh in Geneva back in 2015 and, honestly, it's not that big. It was more of a raised Rapide S, minus the rear doors, of course.

However, Aston Martin design chief Marek Reichmann has hinted that the roofline will need to be significantly higher than the concept's in order to avoid passengers smashing their heads. The DBX will be built on a heavily modified version of the DB11's platform, so at least we know this SUV has proper performance pedigree. Still though, the 2019 or 2020 model year DBX will need to be quite a bit larger than the concept in order to compete with the big boys.