Volkswagen T-roc R
also has a qualification in drawing things), but not as much as the red calipers (shouldn’t all brake calipers be red?). Inside, the sensible black (have you seen what children/dogs/journalists/ photographers can do to the inside of a car?) is paired with spicy red contrast stitching and seat belts. Trim? Carbonfibre as opposed to piano black or one of Aston’s range of open-pore wood finishes, and the headlining is Alcantara.
In a post-wltp world there are three options packages that can be added: Convenience (power tailgate with gesture control, plus park assist, a touchpad and Homelink wireless control), Indulgence (16-way electric front seats, heated and ventilated front and rear seats and acoustic privacy glass for the rear side windows) and DB Elegance (upgrading stitching). Our car has all three packages fitted, contributing towards taking its price up from £161,500 basic to £182,205.
Order submitted, it was time to wait. And then wait some more as genuine paying customers (quite rightly) had their cars built ahead of those for freeloading journos. Then in mid-april the call came to get to Aston’s Silverstone circuit and ask head of vehicle engineering Matt Becker (pictured above, in the driving seat) for the keys.
There’s always a nervousness when collecting a new car, especially one you have been responsible for speccing, and that first glimpse you’ve been waiting months for is suddenly upon you and… Thank God, it looked as good as I hoped it would. Better in fact. Even Becker was impressed, although he would have stuck with the standard 22inch Sport wheel as its simpler design is around 2-3kg lighter per corner than the Ribbon wheels I selected. That’s the first comparison test to set up, then.
For a car with a five-metre-plus length that can fit 6ft 5in passengers in all four seats without them needing to fold their fleshy bits in half, the DBX impresses with how compact it looks. It makes a Bentayga, Range Rover Sport and the like appear like giants. The short overhangs help, so too the upswept tail and falling roofline. Drop the ride height and you’d have a rather rakish shooting brake. I wonder if that’s on Tobias’s product plan?
The DBX’S interior is leagues ahead of those of Aston’s sports cars. It has a more cohesive design and better integrates the Mercedes-benz-supplied hardware. Not having a touchscreen grates with some, but at the time of asking it was what MB was able to supply, and we won’t be surprised if the latest screen tech appears with the mid-life facelift. There’s
‘It’s reminded me just how sorted the DBX’S dynamics are’
Apple Carplay, though, and the Merc system is remarkably intuitive to operate.
My first few weeks with the DBX have involved mostly less than exciting miles: long motorway runs demonstrating those GT credentials and the odd diversion onto well-known back-roads reminding me just how sorted the DBX’S dynamics are. But with restrictions lifting each month, we’ve plenty planned for our DBX.
The default answer to ‘Should I buy an SUV?’ in evo’s world has always been ‘No, get an estate car.’ Over the coming months the DBX’S job is to remind us why it could be a suitable alternative for some, and a better option for others.
Date acquired April 2021 Total mileage 1577 Mileage this month 843 Cost this month £0 mpg this month 18.7