Aston Martin DBX Straight-Six is Aston’s new entry-level DBX – but only for China

The Aston Marting DBX Straight Six is revealed as Aston Martin’s new entry-level DBX, but it will only be sold in China.

Aston Martin’s umpteenth revival depended as much on the success of the DBX SUV as anything, and it’s doing quite well, already accounting for half of Aston’s sales.

Until now, there has only been a single V8-engined option – although AML welcome you ticking as many boxes as possible to make ‘your’ DBX properly yours – but that’s changing.

With a more powerful DBX expected to house the same V8 as Mercedes’ GT 63 S with well over 600bhp next year – and a plug-in hybrid expected when the DBX gets a facelift in the next couple of years – the first additional DBX model now arrives, but it’s a model, apparently, destined only to be sold in China.

In China, high capacity cars get thumped with a 25 per cent tax, but by downsizing the DBX to a 3.0-litre straight-six, the tax drops to a more palatable 12 per cent. So this straight-six DBX is a no-brainer to grow DBX sales in China.

The new straight-six DBX gets Mercedes’ 3.0-litre straight-six with 423bhp (think Mercedes-AMG 53) with 48v mild-hybrid help able to offer a few seconds of extra help when needed, with power going to all four wheels and hitting 62mph in 5.4 seconds, with limited-slip rear diff, carbon-fibre driveshaft and adaptive air suspension as standard.

Prices for the straight-six DBX look to be about 20 per cent lower than the V8 DBX, but Aston is adamant sales are only planned for China.