You’re Sleeping on the Aston Martin DBX S: Review

Tremendous SUVs have it laborious. They’ve to satisfy each poles of an reverse: Be tremendous and be an SUV. Tremendous that means excessive efficiency, nice dealing with, and unique status. SUV that means practicality, floor clearance, and room for (no less than) 5 passengers and their baggage. These are nearly completely opposed concepts. The 2026 Aston Martin DBX S tries to reconcile these concepts into one oddly spectacular object.

Although the DBX has been in manufacturing for 5 years, it has solely simply reached its stride. In 2025, Aston fitted it with the colossally improved infotainment system and electronics package deal from the DB12, changing the outdated and irritating Mercedes gear. Now, it will get one other spherical of upgrades, this time targeted on efficiency somewhat than luxurious.

Usually, throwing hardcore efficiency at an SUV is a simple approach to make it irritating (taking a look at you, Urus Performante). However in Aston’s parlance, “S” doesn’t essentially imply extra hardcore; it simply means extra efficiency. Extra energy, much less weight, however the identical grand touring recipe. The DBX S does simply that, but additionally one thing much more. By some means, it’s a brilliant SUV made emotional.

Fairly a number of luxurious automakers have tried to crack the tremendous SUV conundrum; Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin symbolize the top of the market. However every firm takes a distinct method.

The Lamborghini Urus prioritizes most visible affect and efficiency, complemented by ample practicality, due to its shared Volkswagen Group platform. The Bentley Bentayga makes use of the identical MLB platform, nevertheless it prioritizes luxurious. The Ferrari Purosangue is essentially the most excessive, shoehorning a thirsty and highly effective V-12 right into a tightly fitted package deal that leaves little room for practicality.

Then, there’s the DBX. It shares essentially the most in widespread with the Purosangue when it comes to building—its bonded aluminum chassis is absolutely engineered in-house and resembles a sports activities automotive greater than an SUV. Nevertheless, the DBX doesn’t attain the identical degree of utmost because the Purosangue.

Picture by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Execs: Wonderful Sound, Supple Experience High quality, Quiet Inside

Not like the Purosangue, Aston makes actual concessions within the practicality division. For instance, the DBX doesn’t use a rear-mounted transaxle like different Aston sports activities automobiles, as a substitute putting it proper behind its AMG-built twin-turbo 4.0-liter twin-V-8 engine.

A lot of the great of the DBX707 continues to be there—an extremely well-appointed inside, glorious powertrain, and tactile bodily controls. The DBX S merely provides energy and lightness. The V-8 now has the turbochargers from the upcoming Valhalla, rising energy to 717 horsepower.

Picture by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Picture by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Photographs by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

The 663 pounds-feet of torque stays unchanged from the DBX707, and Aston says it’s because it pursued peakier energy supply. Oddly, zero to 60 miles per hour is unchanged, however zero to 124 is 0.3 seconds quicker.

In its lightest spec, the S weighs as much as 103 kilos lower than the 707. Forty kilos of financial savings comes from the carbon fiber roof, and an extra 42 kilos from magnesium wheels. Though these wheels aren’t meant for towing. An elective carbon diffuser saves one other 15 kilos, whereas the remainder of the load financial savings are from the Alcantara upholstery, a lighter entrance grille, and a brand new exhaust system with stacked ideas like a Lexus IS-F. 

Picture by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Cons: No Towing On Magnesium Wheels, Further Energy Is not Noticeable

Aston additionally quickened the steering ratio by 4 p.c, however not by putting in a brand new steering rack. The entrance uprights are reengineered to have a barely completely different geometry, which quickens the efficient steering ratio but additionally decreases the turning circle—a double profit. It’s additionally an engineer’s approach round the issue and arguably the laborious approach, however cool nonetheless. Combine in some up to date gearbox tuning, total suspension recalibration for the lighter wheels, and the DBX S is a modest improve over the 707.

But modesty doesn’t paint the total image. Round a few of California Wine Nation’s most interesting backroads—roads arguably too small for the DBX—the S felt considerably completely different. Horsepower was much like the 707, which was already ample, however suspension and dealing with had been a number of shades nicer. The light-weight magnesium wheels are vital to this, being unsprung and rotational weight, and total, the DBX S rode impeccably whereas having simple dealing with.

The total suite of energetic sway bars, air suspension, adaptive dampers, and the Bosch digital dealing with overseer stored the 4,845-pound SUV rigidly in step, however with an unbelievable suppleness over bumps.

Essentially the most vital experiential change, unusually, was the exhaust and transmission tuning. It was barely louder, however the V-8 tones had been way more pronounced than earlier than. It delivers a pleasant thundering growl, full with whip-cracks on upshifts that make the V-8 partaking the place it was comparatively quiet earlier than. It’s a full-on case of what I name PDK-itis, the place you shift for enjoyable as a result of it’s so satisfying and good.

Picture by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Picture by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Photographs by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

The DBX S is greater than the sum of its components. It delivers a simple, flowing driving expertise by means of a again highway, whereas nonetheless being tremendously snug and quiet on an extended freeway stint. And it has way more character than the 707. In brief, you don’t lose something by going S. Besides for an additional $20,000 in base MSRP.

However at $270,500, who’s counting?