Aston Martin DBX SUV May Get a Six-Cylinder Engine

When the Aston Martin DBX finally goes on sale late next year, it will be a big change for the British automaker. After years of only building coupes, convertibles, and one very coupe-like sedan, the DBX will be Aston Martin’s first SUV. And if the latest rumor is correct, there will also be a big change under the hood.

According to Australia’s Motoring, the Aston Martin DBX may get a six-cylinder engine supplied by Mercedes-AMG. Interestingly, that rumor comes straight from one of Aston’s executives. Speaking to a group of journalists recently, Marek Reichmann, Aston Martin’s chief creative officer, said, “It could [use a Mercedes-sourced six-cylinder] because that would be a pretty good engine and combination. Potentially.”

Currently, the smallest engine you can get in a new Aston Martin is a V-8, but this isn’t the first time an Aston Martin exec has suggested the possibility of using smaller Mercedes-sourced engines. Back in 2013, then-CEO Ulrich Bez said, “Four- or even three-cylinders are possible. If the spirit of the times demands six-cylinders, then it has to be looked at.”

This also wouldn’t be the first time Aston Martin had used a six-cylinder engine in one of its cars. The legendary DB5 used an inline-six, as did the original DBS and a few others. The unpopular Toyota iQ-based Cygnet went even smaller, using a tiny 1.3-liter inline-four.

If Aston Martin were to use an inline-six in the DBX, it would most likely be the turbocharged version found in the Mercedes-AMG CLS 53. In that application, it makes 429 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque. It’s also paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid system that improves fuel economy. The technical partnership struck between Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG in 2013 gives the British marque access to a wide range of technologies, and so far AMG powerplants have rolled out in the Aston Martin Vantage and DB11 V8, and a Mercedes-based infotainment system is spreading across the lineup.

But while Aston Martin may be experimenting with smaller engines and electrification, it has no intention of adding a diesel option. Or, as Reichmann put it, “Never, ever, ever, ever, never, ever, ever. Never. Never! No diesels.”

Source: Motoring

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