The myth of Cayenne's saving Porsche is repeated every day, and the Stuttgartians may not have imagined that the cash cows they planted were so luxuriant that friends wanted to learn the cultivation technique. 1,000 kilometres away in Gayton, Aston Martin is 108 years old and is still mired in debt after many bankruptcies and changes of ownership. CEO Tobias Moers said that "to increase annual sales to 10,000 vehicles by 2025", to achieve this goal, it will take a special agent who is good at fighting financial crises - the protagonist of this article, DBX STRAIGHT-SIX.
In 2021, DBX has fully proven its success, with more than 3,000 units delivered worldwide, accounting for about 20% of the ultra-luxury SUV market. In the future, these models that roll off the production line at the St Assen plant in Wales will continue to be related to the survival of the century-old store. The biggest significance of the emergence of STRAIGHT-SIX is to make the starting price of DBX change from 2.368 million yuan to 1.898 million yuan.
Users who spent 2.302 million yuan (plus optional) to buy an SUV basically went beyond the tool perspective when understanding the vehicle, and even if they were wearing an overly low-key charm silver livery, DBX still showed its unique style. The DBX has no historical roots to trace back, but all DB family models are its historical roots.
With a large number of models light and heavy configuration, dbx says "no" to the industry with a strong leather aroma. HUD head-up display, branded audio, seat massage, Autohold... Why not equip it?
Talking about Aston Martin, mercedes-benz on the other end of the North Sea is a key word that cannot be avoided. The DBX STRAIGHT-SIX is powered by an M256 (256930) engine supplied by Mercedes-Benz and a 9-speed automatic transmission, with the Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) discreetly encapsulated between the engine and the gearbox, which replaces the starter and alternator and provides 48V electric assistance directly to the crankshaft. To further improve efficiency, auxiliary equipment (e.g., coolant pumps, air conditioning pumps) that were originally driven by belts were also replaced by electric motors, and the turbines also had special electric superchargers to minimize turbo lag and improve starting performance.
The bonnet switch sits under the co-pilot's glove box, and friends who are first in contact with Aston Martin may have to resort to search engines – ultra-luxury brands have their own insistence. M256 engine maximum power 320kW (435 hp) / 5900-6100rpm, maximum torque 520Nm / 1800-5500rpm, the same parameters are common in various AMG models, the distinguished thing is that Alfadbach can not give "one person, one machine", DBX can give you.
Press the start button and the engine enters its state almost instantaneously, without waiting for the speed to rise and fall. Step by step on the accelerator pedal, first the whisper of the current, then the roar of the inline six-cylinder engine, its singing voice with a carved artificial feel. If you are a long-time listener of V6 and V8, you will definitely feel that this sound is dense but imperfect; if you are usually poisoned by the "hiss", this cup of "British specials" is still very good to swallow.
The most common GT mode, ISG+eBooster, helps the M256 engine simulate self-priming texture, and the speed is established in an instant, like a maglev train that has just left the station.
Skip the Sport mode, activate the most unusual Sport+ mode, and the idle speed is immediately raised. The same is the same start in place, the throttle pedal response sales reached the original 1.5-2 times, the speed of the full throttle state continued to climb, the power cathartic burst out, welcome to the adult world.
Due to the presence of an energy recovery link, the vehicle does not maintain its current speed and taxis forward for a distance after losing the throttle, but quickly slows down. This means that if you grasp the timing, you can reduce the frequency of brake pedal use to a certain extent, and enter the era of electric DBX ahead of schedule.
The gearbox in Sport+ mode is really exciting, and each upshift is accompanied by a short kickback feeling, accompanied by a crackling echo, which is dizzying. But when you need to downshift, the speed increase is slightly lazy, exposing that its core is not hardcore.
So, try manual mode? Cold metal always makes my blood boil, press the paddle, the system no longer interferes with your personal show, into the red zone after directly cut off the oil treatment. Unfortunately, the execution of the paddles was not efficient, and there were cases where instructions were issued but the gearbox was not moved, and the driver was splashed with cold water. In addition, after cutting into manual gear change, the only way to return to automatic mode is to press the D button that is farthest away from your body, which is very inconvenient.
Accelerate testing
The maximum speed allowed for the ejection start is 2800 rpm, the brake pedal is released, and the DBX enters a full-force running state after completing the shaft load transfer, with a maximum acceleration of 0.933g. After 8 consecutive sets of tests, the zero hundred score remained stable within 6 seconds.
Fuel consumption test
During the fuel consumption test, I drove the DBX for 116km, with an average speed of 29km/h, maintained GT mode throughout the whole process, set the air conditioner 23°C AUTO, and measured an average fuel consumption of 12.41L/100km, which was in line with expectations.
This medium-sized SUV with a curb weight of more than 2 tons always reminds me of "007: No Time to Die", James Bond is not the calm Jason Bourne, nor the full john Wick, he wears a tight suit, slightly decadent but always can show the whole scene, gentleman and macho man.
Chassis and body parts, DBX STRAIGHT-SIX will not be distinguished from the V8, aluminum alloy structure can be seen everywhere, with air suspension and 48V anti-roll bar, its paradise seems to be mountainous.
Ultra luxury SUV = road comfort + track sports, DBX does not want to continue to repeat this formula. Driving on paved roads, the body retains a hint of tightness, and the undulations are difficult to call soothing. Tires rolled on the road joints or manhole cover edges appear very "brittle", after which there is a weak sense of absorption, the road surface information is rich. In the corners, the 48V anti-roll bar has a GT level of rejection of roll, whether it is parallel or through the ramp, the support is always with you.
When encountering large undulations such as speed bumps, the action of abandonment and compression is easily perceived by the driver and occupants, and the vertical impact of the rear axle is significantly greater than that of the front axle. Although there is not too much residual vibration, the lack of roundness is still regrettable.
The DBX has a steering ratio of 14.4:1 and an end-to-end 2.6 laps, and the steering center area is heavily damped, which may make "electronic taste" enthusiasts uncomfortable. The torque gain and front response are just right, and driving confidence is quickly built. When turning at a large angle, the hand force becomes gentle, and the disadvantage is that it is easy to "overdo the head".
NVH performance needs to be divided into two by speed, below 100km/h is the level of executive sedans, above is the level of household SUV, wind noise, road noise is not gradually improved. Sport or Sport+ mode opens the exhaust valve by default, allowing the rumbling sound to heal you.
Brake test
The results of the DBX 8 brake test fluctuated and there was a certain thermal attenuation. When the brake system is in excellent condition, the braking force is released quickly, the pedal foot feel is solid, and the overall adjustment level is online.
Noise test
From the data point of view, the data measured by DBX in various working conditions is basically consistent with the subjective feelings during driving, and the noise value in the car does not increase linearly, but there is a step-by-step jump.
Editor's comments: As an ultra-luxury brand, no one wants to be affectionately called "fooling master" by car fans, and the wings, horses and cows hanging from the front of the car are the embodiment of the mission. For a consumer who has never been exposed to Aston Martin, DBX can help him/her find all the features of the brand, all the features that are different from Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and it is also a practical SUV. Look, who says ultra-luxury brands don't have "value for money"?