Aston Martin DBX Concept: A Gorgeous, Lifted, AWD Electric Sports Car

Aston Martin evidently has decided that selling only GT cars—and we’re including the four-door Rapide in that categorization—is a strategy fated to keep sales volumes cripplingly small. And indeed, the brand sold just a little more than 4000 units worldwide last year. Thus, it is moving to make its Lagonda sedan available in markets other than in just the Middle East. And at the Geneva auto show, it indicated a move to drive sales to unforeseen heights by showing a crossover GT, the DBX concept.

Bigger than a DB9 but smaller than a Rapide, the DBX is a two-door, four-seat conveyance that, to our eyes, looks downright sporty despite its big wheels and elevated ride height. This lifted, sports-car-type thing does more than just take the now-familiar Aston design language and perch it atop big wheels—although the wheels certainly are big, at 22 inches—as proved by the layered effect of the roofline at the C-pillar, the way the upper edge of the grille is pulled forward to create a shark nose, and the squinting, LED-lit headlights. The paint is black with a thin layer of chrome laid within to mimic the surface of authentic black pearls.

A statement by new Aston CEO Andy Palmer says the DBX is “clearly not a production-ready sports GT car,” and that’s even clearer once you learn about its powertrain. The DBX is an all-wheel-drive EV, with individual electric motors powering each of the wheels. Oh, and it also claims drive-by-wire steering, carbon-ceramic brakes with a KERS system, cameras in place of side mirrors, and automatic-dimming “smart glass.” The unique powertrain does afford the concept undeniable packaging advantages, such as front and rear luggage compartments and an interior with a flat floor. With that flat floor and the lack of any kind of center console, the cabin, which is decked out in black and brown nubuck upholstery, is every bit as interesting to eyeball as the exterior.

Aston says that the DBX is “clearly signaling an extension to the brand’s existing model lines,” but how much will a future Aston crossover look like this concept? Perhaps less than we’d hope. For one reason, a production crossover is likely to be a four-door—sad trombone—but even if the DBX is merely a signpost for future Aston GT design, then we’d say it’s a success.