The all-new DBX is currently being tested along a Welsh Rally stage by the company’s Chief Engineer, Matt Becker. The choice of Wales as the first stage of testing is significant due to Aston Martin’s new St Athan production facility being based in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Once the rigours of Wales have been completed the DBX will continue ‘real world’ testing in some of the world’s most testing conditions including the Arctic, the deserts of the Middle East, Alpine passes at altitude and also the high-speed of the German motorways.

“We have already developed and tuned DBX in the driving simulator, which has enabled us to make excellent progress in advance of the first physical prototype cars being available,” Becker said after the first run of tests. “It’s always a big day when you get to put the first actual miles on an early prototype and I’m delighted with the near perfect correlation between the simulator and this prototype. As an engineer, it’s genuinely exciting to get a feel for the car you’re working to create. DBX is a very different kind of Aston Martin, but we will be testing it in all conditions and across all terrains to ensure it delivers a driving experience worthy of the wings badge.”

The fact that the DBX is Aston Martin’s first ever SUV brings with it new challenges for the engineering programme, with additional processes, procedures and standards to ensure that the all-purpose element of an SUV are looked after.

Speaking about the launch, Aston Martin’s President, Andy Palmer was excited by the new direction the brand is taking: “Seeing a DBX development prototype in action is a momentous chapter in the story of our first SUV, for it is the moment it really comes alive. DBX is so much more than ‘just’ an SUV; it will be the first model built at our brand-new facility in St Athan. As such, it is very much the start of a bold new era in the company’s long history.”

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