2026 Aston Martin DBX S review: Quick drive

It’s hard to believe that the Aston Martin DBX – the firm’s first and only SUV – is knocking on for five years old. Now there’s a new S version to tempt buyers into spending more money.

As you’d expect from the badge, the 2026 Aston Martin DBX S does indeed go a bit faster, though the DBX707 hardly needed a performance boost, so the focus here is on a little weight reduction and a lot of driver engagement.

Our first drive of the DBX S came at the car’s international media launch on the twisting mountain roads of the Spanish island of Mallorca.

This was also our first opportunity to try out the DBX’s new cabin, bringing with it a mix of physical switchgear and cutting-edge infotainment tech. In fact, this is the first car in the world to get the new Apple CarPlay Ultra system.

How much does the Aston Martin DBX cost?

Before on-road costs, GST and LCT, the retail price of the new DBX S in Australia will be $349,080.

The Australian launch date is yet to be confirmed, but it will certainly be sometime in 2026 and if the taxation system doesn’t change between now and then, we estimate the S will come in at about $485,311 on the road.

Given the high-net-worth individuals this car is designed for, the 10 or so per cent increase this represents over the DBX707 is all but irrelevant, which makes it a little surprising that the “lesser” model will still be offered.

To see how the Aston Martin DBX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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What is the Aston Martin DBX like on the inside?

The S is remarkably similar to the DBX707 inside, though this is our first chance to sample the DBX’s upgraded cabin.

One of the few complaints we had with the DBX when it was launched was its sub-par dashboard and infotainment, but that has been alleviated by porting over the same system first seen in the Aston Martin DB12 – and now it comes with Apple CarPlay Ultra as well.

In front of the driver is a classy 12.3-inch display for the digital instrumentation with various views. Its graphics are rich and clear, and the appearance can be altered more than usual if you’ve an iPhone paired up to the car.

Irritatingly, though, if you’re using Google Maps, turn-by-turn navigation prompts aren’t displayed in front of the driver – that only works if you use Apple Maps. Get in touch with Tim Cook to voice your complaint.

The touchscreen in the middle of the car measures 10.25 inches across the diagonal and it works well, even if some of the text can appear a bit small at times. The Apple CarPlay Ultra integration, taking in items such as cabin temperature, is undoubtedly neat, though not as game-changing as it may have been hyped up to be.

Thankfully, you don’t have to touch the screen to tweak the three-zone climate control, as Aston Martin’s switchgear includes a set of ridiculously tactile controls arranged between the front seats.

The rollers – for temperature, fan speed and stereo volume – feel like knurled metal under your fingers and befit a car intended to be compared with Lamborghinis and Bentleys.

The same solidity and tactility extend to the chunky drive-mode selector (with the engine-start button at its middle) and the compact drive selector behind.

A scattering of physical buttons completes the pane – not only are they more satisfying to use than touch-sensitive controls, but they’re safer on the move as the driver doesn’t need to take their eyes off the road for as long as they might to use a touchscreen menu.

A slightly flat-bottomed steering wheel is fitted, featuring more physical buttons on its spokes, though the highlight is the cold, metal paddle shifters behind.

No two Aston Martins leave the factory in the same specification, so poring over the colours and materials of our test car is a fruitless exercise, save to admire the craftsmanship.

We particularly like the smooth carbon-fibre finish available, but the sky (or your bank balance) is the limit when it comes to choosing a bespoke look and feel.

For the record, the S model is differentiated by its own door sill plates and lashings of Alcantara upholstery throughout, including a special ‘S Herringbone’ pattern on the seats. This is also added to the headlining if you replace the standard glass roof with the optional carbon-fibre one.

Aston fits the DBX S with an 800W, 14-speaker audio system as standard, with the option to upgrade to a Bowers & Wilkins setup using 23 speakers and pumping out 1600 Watts. We’d suggest the V8 under the bonnet renders that a waste of money.

Rear-seat and luggage space are unchanged in the S model, meaning lots of rear legroom and headroom, plus well over 600 litres of room in the boot. So yeah, it does the practical SUV thing in a more-than-adequate manner.

To see how the Aston Martin DBX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Power as ever comes from a Mercedes-AMG-derived V8. It’s still a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre unit in the S, though peak power has been increased from the 520kW DBX707 to 535kW for the S. That’s a modest increase, relatively speaking, and the peak torque figure is unchanged at – a still-huge – 900Nm.

It’s all the more surprising then that the increased output is thanks to more than just a quick recalibration, as the DBX now gets the same turbochargers as the incoming Valhalla supercar, bringing with them larger compressor wheels and other improvements.

Aston Martin doesn’t officially quote any increase to the top speed – 310km/h – or a reduction in the claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.3 seconds (which make it one of the world’s quickest and fastest SUVs) , but one of its engineers discreetly confirmed to CarExpert that the latter is a pessimistic number achievable repeatedly and the car can easily better it. What’s more, the engine has a wider rev range than before.

It certainly never lacks for performance and drama. To that end, the exhaust system has been redeveloped in a bid to amplify the V8’s characteristics, and it makes a truly astounding noise when you’re pushing on.

Even ambling around in the quietest setting, it makes a pleasingly deep, bass-rich rumble, but you’ll change gears up and down manually just to hear the engine at work when you’re on an interesting road. Not that you strictly need to in order to make indecent progress, such is the level of mid-range torque produced.

The gearbox is a nine-speed automatic as before, using a wet-clutch design, and its operation is tied in with the various driving modes.

Pleasingly, there’s a big ‘Manual’ button on the centre console to allow you make full use of the tactile paddles behind the wheel. Press that and the transmission will never change up for you.

Aston Martin quotes all the obligatory approach, departure and breakover angles for the DBX S, but who in their right minds would take such a car off road?

The all-wheel drive system is designed more for on-road performance, with the ability to send up to 100 per cent of the engine’s output to the back axle, whereupon an electronically controlled limited-slip differential divvies things out between the rear wheels.

To see how the Aston Martin DBX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Aston Martin DBX drive?

There haven’t been any significant changes to the chassis of the DBX for the S model, though it did come in for some revision last year, with a recalibration of its electronically controlled dampers and air springs.

The spring rates are varied in the three-chamber system depending on whether the driver chooses the default GT driving mode, Sport or Sport+. There’s another setting called Terrain for those that feel the need to take their sports-car-cosplaying-as-an-SUV off the beaten track.

Complementing all this is an active electronic roll-control system. Some of these such systems can give a car a completely unnatural feel through a curve, removing the sensation of high-speed cornering from the equation and distancing the driver from the process.

Aston Martin has managed the balancing act well, so the DBX S just feels planted and its body incredibly well controlled no matter how fast you push it. Yet it’s not an artificial sensation, as there’s a smidge of lean and enough information coming through the steering and the seat of your pants to let you know just how hard you’re going. It’s huge fun.

For the S, Aston’s engineers have sped up the power steering rack, meaning quicker response to inputs. Like the suspension though, it feels natural, and is never nervous or twitchy. Dial everything back down and the DBX S is perfectly happy to ferry the kids to school or tackle a long highway journey.

Admittedly, it’s never quite as comfortable as say, a Bentley Bentayga, but your family won’t hate you for buying one either. And on a deserted, twisting mountain road, there’s huge enjoyment to be had, belying the big SUV image and weight.

To that end, Aston Martin has sensibly fitted massive carbon-ceramic brakes as standard. And yet the pedal feel is always just right under your foot.

You can maximise the DBX S’s ability by ticking a few choice option boxes, reducing the weight where it matters. A lightweight front grille is available, for example, though the most effective upgrades are to the roof.

The carbon-fibre variant takes a full 18kg out, significantly lowering the car’s centre of gravity in the process. And choose the gorgeous magnesium rims and you’re removing 19kg of unsprung weight from the suspension.

To see how the Aston Martin DBX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Aston Martin includes a generous specification on all its cars, and the DBX S is no different, though we’d like to have seen some of the lightweight additions as standard equipment. Not that it matters, as Aston’s buyers tend to spend a good amount of money on personalising their cars in any case.

2026 Aston Martin DBX S equipment highlights:

• 23-inch aluminium alloy wheels
• Carbon-ceramic brakes
• Alcantara sports seats and trim
• Tri-zone climate control
• Panoramic glass roof
• 12.3-inch digital instrumentation
• 10.25-inch touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
  • incl. online mapping, routing
• 360-degree camera system
• Powered tailgate

To see how the Aston Martin DBX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Aston Martin DBX safe?

Small-volume automakers such as Aston Martin don’t habitually present their models for crash-testing by Euro NCAP or ANCAP, and it’s the same for the DBX. Nonetheless, it’s fitted with a vast range of active and passive safety features.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Blind-spot monitoring
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Driver alertness monitoring
• Rear cross traffic alerting
• Traffic sign recognition
• Door exit warning
• Forward collision warning

To see how the Aston Martin DBX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Aston Martin DBX cost to run?

The DBX S is covered by Aston Martin’s standard three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, along with three years of roadside assist. Genuine parts fitted by Aston through the car’s lifetime are covered by a separate 12-month warranty.

Aston Martin offers its Pinnacle Extended Service Contract as part of its Aftercare Intensified program to cover running costs.

At the time of writing, the DBX S’s fuel consumption and emissions figures were not available, but you can be sure they won’t be any better than the DBX707 manages – officially 14.2L/100km, but much worse than that in reality.

To see how the Aston Martin DBX lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Aston Martin DBX

Aston Martin’s continued gentle evolution of its SUV is to be welcomed.

The DBX S is perhaps not as transformative as the marketing might suggest, but it is still an astoundingly good-to-drive SUV that manages to be a proper high-performance car, without the histrionics of something like a Lamborghini Urus.

Owners of the earlier models will no doubt be keen to trade up to the DBX S, rendering the 707 version all but superfluous.

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