Aston Martin DBX S

Subtle cosmetic changes belie mechanical upgrades that make an already sharp and engaging performance SUV even better

- by STUART GALLAGHER PHOTOGRAPHY by ASTON PARROTT

DT HASN'T TAKEN LONG FOR ASTON Martin's current CEO, Adrian Hallmark (the fourth since Lawrence Stroll took a controlling interest in the company), to implement his plan for broadening the brand's product portfolio.

Already announced for 2026 are the Vantage S and DB12 S, and ahead of their arrival comes the DBX S. It's based on the 707 but is not a replacement for it nor the original 540bhp DBX, which launched in 2020 and drifted from the price list at the tail end in 2024.

Hallmark wants to offer Aston Martin's customers more choice, providing a lineup on a par with those of its rivals. Therefore, just as Bentley and Lamborghini customers have a choice of three flavours of Bentayga or Urus, Aston Martin has joined the party by creating a more powerful, more focused and, yes, more expensive model to sit above the 707.

Five years on and there's still a presence to the DBX that few rivals this side of Ferrari's Purosangue can match. Changes to the S are light, including a new front splitter and rear diffuser, with the exhausts now stacked vertically within the latter. There are also some new side sills, but when finished in gloss black they look a little cheap, drawing your eye to the sizable gaps between each individual piece of the bodykit.

The 707's 'upgraded' looks have always been its weak point to me and the S does little to change that.