2022 Aston Martin DBX spied again

Aston Martin has been spied once again testing a hotter, high-performance version of the DBX SUV at the Nürburgring.

This model is expected to be called the DBX S, but the name isn’t confirmed yet.

The prototype pictured here has gained a black and red camouflage livery as well as a set of quad exhaust pipes compared to the prototypes we’ve previously spied.

Visually setting this hotter prototype version of the DBX apart from the model currently on sale are its larger grille and different air intakes.

Rumours indicate this high-performance DBX may use the same twin-turbo V12 as the DB11.

This 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine produces 470kW of power and 700Nm of torque in the DB11 AMR.

A tuned version of the AMG-sourced twin-turbo V8 used in the current model may be on the cards too, but nothing is certain yet. If a V12 is put into this high-performance DBX, it may signify the last hurrah for the company’s V12 powertrain.

Aston Martin’s twin-turbocharged V12 isn’t expected to survive beyond 2027 due to increasingly stringent European emissions regulations.

If this variant makes it to production, the DBX SUV lineup will become a family of four.

Currently, the only powertrain available for the DBX is a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged Mercedes-AMG V8 engine that’s also used in the Vantage, DB11 V8, as well as numerous Mercedes-AMG models.

It’s expected to soon be joined by mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants that have been previously spied.

Tobias Moers, CEO of Aston Martin, told Motor Trend he predicts half of Aston Martin’s portfolio will be fully electric by 2030.

Although the company will offer PHEVs in select markets, it’ll continue to offer internal combustion engines for as long as possible.

According to the latest VFACTS sales report, Aston Martin has sold 52 DBX SUVs in the luxury Upper Large SUV segment.

A low-volume seller, it was outsold by rivals such as the Audi Q8 (304), Bentley Bentayga (304), Lamborghini Urus (61), and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class (540).

MORE: Everything Aston Martin DBX