Mercedes Benz : Aston Martin DBX Crossover Will Be Built On A Completely New Platform

Aston Martin’s first ever SUV will launch in 2019.

Launched in 2016, the

DB11 marked the first of seven new models

Aston Martin will launch within the next seven years. After that came

the all-new Vantage

, and more recently, the

DBS Superleggera

. The next model launching in 2019, however, will be Aston Martin’s first ever luxury SUV. Currently known as the DBX, it will be built on a completely new platform.

Speaking to Road and Track at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Aston Martin chief engineer Matt Becker confirmed the DBX’s new platform "takes learnings" from the company's other cars, "but there's a lot more suspension technology going to go into [the DBX]." Becker didn’t go into any more detail about the suspension technology, but he did confirm the DBX will feature an active anti-roll system and triple-volume air springs.

Aston Martin has never used this technology before, but the chief engineer said it was necessary for a high-riding and heavy SUV like the DBX. "It's physics at the end of the day and you need additional help to overcome those physics," he said. Other SUVs like the Audi SQ7, Bentley Bentayga, and the Porsche Cayenne, which Becker considers to be the DBX’s main competitors, use the same systems. Like these cars, the DBX won't sacrifice practicality for performance. "Accommodation is a big thing because people, they want the badge, but they want the utility as well," Becker said. "The Cayenne and all the other cars are an example of that."

Little is currently known about the DBX. Aston Martin has confirmed the SUV will use the same extruded and bonded aluminum construction as the company’s sports cars. While 2015's DBX concept featured an electric powertrain, the production SUV will launch with a combustion engine and most likely a hybrid option. Instead, pure EVs are being reserved for Aston Martin’s ultra-luxury Lagonda sub-brand, which is developing a separate SUV that will rival the Rolls-Royce Cullinan in 2021.

After the DBX launches next year, Becker confirmed Aston Martin’s next car will be the company’s mid-engined Ferrari 488 fighter.