It’s always funny when a car company launches a new SUV that touts how lightweight it is, or at least how much lighter-weight it is than the previous version of the model, especially when the SUV in question is heavy as hell. Porsche offers a Lightweight Sport Package on the Cayenne, for instance, and last year Bentley released an Apex Edition of the Bentayga that shaves off a whopping 97 pounds. The latest company to get in on the lightweight SUV trend is Aston Martin, which this week unveiled a new DBX S variant that’s up to 104 pounds lighter.
This is the third update to the DBX since the model launched in 2020. Aston introduced the more powerful DBX707 variant in 2022, and then last year the DBX707 gained a totally new interior and became the only model in the lineup as the base car was dropped. In a similar vein to S versions of cars like the Vanquish, the new DBX S slots in above the still-available DBX707, offering a bit more power, sharper handling, a louder exhaust, and angrier styling.
More power and more fun
The DBX S uses the same AMG-derived twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 as the DBX707, but its larger and improved turbos were taken from the upcoming Valhalla supercar, boosting output to 717 horsepower, up from 697 in the DBX707. (The DBX707 name refers to its power output in PS, not horsepower.) Its 193-mph top speed and 3.3-second 0-to-62-mph time are the same as the 707, but Aston says the DBX S is three tenths quicker to 124 mph. As the DBX S has a greater rev range, its 9-speed wet clutch automatic transmission’s shift points have been adjusted and downshifts are more aggressive.
Where the DBX707 has two round exhaust tips placed next to each other in either corner of the rear diffuser, the DBX S has a pair of big honkin’ rectangular tips stacked on top of each other on either side. Aston says the new exhaust enhances “both performance and perception,” making the DBX’s sound more characterful and making the most of the engine’s updates. The steering ratio is 4% faster, which reduces the turning radius by about a foot and a half, but the rest of the DBX S’ chassis setup is the same as the latest 707s, meaning you get a revised air suspension with 48-volt active anti-roll bars, giant carbon-ceramic brakes, and an all-wheel-drive system that can send 100% of torque to just the rear wheels.
All of the lightweight stuff is optional
While Aston makes a big deal about the DBX S’ lightweight nature, all of the bits that reduce its weight are optional. In a first for any SUV, the DBX S can be had with magnesium wheels that measure the same 23 inches as the car’s other forged aluminum wheel options. The magnesium wheels have a skinny split five-spoke design that looks really good, and they reduce unsprung mass by 42 pounds in total, also improving ride quality and steering feel. An available carbon-fiber roof is the largest piece of carbon ever fitted to an Aston, and it saves 40 pounds and lowers the SUV’s center of gravity compared to the standard glass roof. Going for either the magnesium wheels or the carbon roof deletes the roof rails, which also saves a bit of weight.
Another lightweight option is a polycarbonate honeycomb grille instead of the DBX’s standard grille that has a more traditional Aston design with horizontal slats. The company says that the optional grille’s 25,000 individual facets were designed in a way that “helps shift the weight distribution rearward, aiding both handling and the car’s traction capabilities.” Now that’s a claim I’ve never seen made before, and I’m not exactly sure how it even works, but I’m here for it.
New embossing techniques
In addition to the stacked exhaust, there are other visual tweaks to let people know you’ve got a DBX S and not a regular-degular DBX707. The lower section of the front bumper and its attached splitter have a more intricate design, as does the rear diffuser, and the side skirts have a kicked-up design that better channels airflow along the body. Getting all of the lower body pieces in carbon fiber reduces weight by another 15 pounds, and you can also select a contrasting livery color that adds pinstripes to those pieces. There are S badges on the fenders that are made from solid metal with a red enamel glass center and a chrome-pated surround, just like the Aston wings.
The seats have a new herringbone design that’s also extended to the headliner if you go for the carbon roof, there are new Alcantara or leather color scheme choices, and the S logo is embroidered into the seat. Another industry first is the way the Aston wings are stamped in the headrests; instead of just simply embroidering them, they are both embossed and debossed with 1.5 tons of pressure, and then heat is used to precisely sculpt them into the leather.
Aston hasn’t yet announced how much the DBX S will cost when it reaches dealers in the fourth quarter of this year, but given how the normal DBX707 already starts at over $250,000 (and easily reaches $100k past that with options), expect the DBX S to be at least $25,000 more expensive.
