Aston Martin is gearing up to introduce its first crossover next year and CEO Andy Palmer recently sat down with Wards Auto to discuss the upcoming model.
While crossovers don’t cause as much outrage as they did when Porsche introduced the Cayenne in 2002, it’s still a big change for a company like Aston Martin. However, the automaker is late to the game as Bentley already offers the Bentayga and Rolls-Royce recently introduced the Cullinan.
Some may debate the need for another ultra-luxury crossover but Palmer says “The DBX SUV exists because of the booming China market.” He added the company probably wouldn’t have built the model if it wasn’t for consumers in the People’s Republic.
As part of the effort to appeal to Chinese consumers, Aston Martin has teamed up with The College of Design and Innovation at Shanghai’s Tongji University. The partnership seeks to anticipate color trends in the country and Plamer noted Chinese customers tend to like “much more vibrant” colors than other markets.
Aston Martin only sells a few hundred units in the country annually but those numbers have been increasing in recent years. Last year alone, sales jumped 89% to around 660 units.
Palmer noted the Bentayga has proven popular with Chinese consumers and he expects a significant proportion of DBX sales to come from the country. If estimates are correct, China will around for about a third of all DBX sales.
Palmer didn’t say much about the DBX itself but the executive has previously said the company no longer has plans for an electric variant. Instead, the crossover is expected to be offered with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 producing 503 hp (375 kW) and 513 lb-ft (675 Nm) of torque. There should also be a twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12 developing 600 hp (447 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque.
There have been constant rumors about a plug-in hybrid variant but Palmer has previously downplayed that possibly by saying the technology adds too much weight and cost.
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