Head 2 Head: Aston Martin DBX vs Lamborghini Urus

Of late, there has been a trend among sports car brands to diversify their portfolio. Given how popular the SUV segment has become, supercar makers like Aston Martin, Lamborghini and even Ferrari are looking at this slice of the market to increase volumes and thus, profits.

Yes, an Aston Martin or Ferrari SUV does sound ridiculous, if you’re a petrolhead like us. However, the world wants high-end, sporty SUVs and if there’s a potential for making a profit, why wouldn’t these niche brands look for a piece of the pie.

The Aston Martin DBX is the brand’s first SUV. It’s here to rival Lamborghini’s first SUV, the Urus. So, how does it compare?

Styling

To put it simply, the Aston Martin DBX looks like an Aston Martin. At first glance, it seems like a jacked-up Vantage, but there are subtle details that are unique to this car.

That typical Aston Martin grille gives the DBX its identity. It’s larger compared to the one on the sports cars. Therefore, the badge on hood has also been proportioned accordingly.

The DBX doesn’t just look good, but the surfaces you see have a purpose. Air entering through the front is vented out through the two bonnet vents. Besides, those ducts on either side of the grille channel air into the wheel wells, which is then extracted out through vents behind the front fenders. Aston says that it creates an air curtain along the sides.

For the rear, the designers of the DBX borrowed styling cues from the new Vantage. The tail lights are clearly from the Vantage. However, there is an interesting design element worth mentioning here. The DBX comes with a roof spoiler that has cut outs that guide air over the rear windshield and onto the lip spoiler. Apparently, it helps keep the rear glass clear and generate rear downforce.

Hop inside the cabin and you will be greeted by a leather wrapped interior shaped in typical Aston Martin fashion. The car has a new generation touchscreen infotainment system and a digital instrument cluster.

The Lamborghini Urus looks brash in front of the elegant DBX. Clearly, the Urus is meant for a different kind of customer altogether. The designers have tried their best to make an SUV look like a sleek supercar. We think, they’ve overdone it. But, given the fact that the Urus is selling like hot cakes, there are people looking for an ostentatious SUV.

Performance

The Aston Martin DBX uses an AMG-sourced 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 542 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission and it has all-wheel drive. Aston claims that the DBX will hit 62 mph in 4.5 seconds and will keep accelerating till 181 mph.

Aston Martin DBX – Technical Specifications

The Lamborghini Urus also comes with a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8. However, it’s a lot more powerful than the one in the DBX. It pushes out 650 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. Unsurprisingly, 0-62 mph comes up in just 3.6 seconds and top speed is 190 mph. In terms of sheer performance, the DBX is no match for the Lambo.

Lamborghini Urus – Technical Specifications

Price

But, what about the price? Well, the Aston Martin DBX starts at $189,900 in the US. Priced at $200,000, the Urus is just $10,000 more than the DBX and for that’s not much, given the fact that you get 108 hp and 111 lb-ft more to play with.

The Urus has the looks of a Lamborghini with performance to match and on paper, it destroys the DBX. But, like we said, both cars target a specific set of customers.