2022 Aston Martin DBX Review

The DBX isn't just the British marque's first SUV — it's the most versatile Aston Martin ever made. With plenty of turbocharged power on tap, seating for five, and good looks, the DBX recipe makes for a great ultra-luxury SUV — as long as you can stomach the $192,000 starting price. At that price point, the DBX competes in rarefied air. The Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Mercedes-Maybach GLS are all serious contenders in this segment, but the DBX is the best choice if you're interested in something that drives more like a sports car and less like a land yacht.

The DBX's impressive performance starts with its powerful turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. Ever since the British brand partnered with Mercedes AMG, its powertrains have been a highlight. Gobs of available low-end torque get you off the line quickly, and this SUV's quick reflexes might surprise you. It's a responsive driver's car, but that doesn't mean the rest of the car has been compromised to attain that high level of performance. Instead, it's as usable as any other five-seat crossover SUV and as posh as you'd expect an Aston Martin to be.

Inside there are swaths of leather coating nearly every surface, with wood, metal and faux suede trim used neatly throughout the cabin. The design is familiar to anyone who's seen the interior of other Astons like the DB11 and the Vantage. Like most cars in this uber-luxurious class of SUVs, the DBX is basically fully loaded from the start. A configurable 12.3-inch digital instrument panel sits behind the steering wheel, and there is a 10-inch Mercedes-sourced screen that handles infotainment duties and many of the car's settings. For 2022, the DBX's interior gets spruced up slightly, offering a Sport Plus bucket seat and a new wireless charging mat as options. There are also four new interior "themes" for 2022: Accelerate, Create, Impulse and Inspire.

On the whole, the DBX is a winner. With enjoyable handling, a sumptuous interior and a fantastic V8, Aston Martin did a darn good job with its first SUV.

Like many high-end luxury vehicles, the Aston Martin DBX doesn't have any trim levels. There is, however, a seemingly endless list of option packages and customization options to pluck from through the company's Q customization service. If that seems overwhelming, the DBX can also be purchased in a number of preconfigured variants to help keep things simple. All DBXs have a 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 engine (542 horsepower, 516 lb-ft) and a nine-speed automatic transmission to route power to all four wheels.