Could Aston Martin roll out a multi-million-pound DBX special?

Aston Martin is mulling ways to make the DBX SUV more enticing, according to its new boss Adrian Hallmark. Yes, it still makes the DBX SUV and might very well make a very expensive version.

“It would be good to be the first one that does an SUV special,” Hallmark said at a briefing last week. “And I’m not talking about a six-wheeler G-Wagen because they’re special in a different way.”

What he means is a proper, super expensive, super exotic take on the premium segment’s favourite style of motor vehicle. “A multi-million-pound SUV doesn’t exist yet, as far as I’m aware,” he said.

Not since the outrageous V12-engined Maybach Laundaulet has a premium carmaker flirted with such conspicuous excess. Hallmark didn’t elaborate on what form this DBX could take, but our money’s on one with a massive V12.

Hallmark’s keen to make sure everyone knows Aston Martin still makes an SUV. “Nobody knows we’ve got a DBX,” he said bluntly. “Sorry, those that have them know we’ve got them, but if you go to America and look at the awareness of brand and then product, about 40 per cent of luxury buyers know that we even do an SUV.

“The problem with the DBX is that it was launched in a strange way,” he said. “We had a positioning for the car that we subsequently changed.

“If 52 per cent of the luxury segment by price is SUVs, we can’t exist without an SUV. And if it [the DBX] hasn’t yet done everything it needs to, watch this space in the next one to three years. We’re going to attack through the life cycle [of the car], give people reasons to come back, or even come to us.”

The plan is to capitalise on the ‘strength’ of Aston’s entirely refreshed two-door range. “We will keep that sports car, super car, hyper car story moving nicely.

“But we can and will make the SUV work because it’s a brilliant car,” he added.