2026 Aston Martin Vantage S review

Just as it is in fashion, there are waves in the automotive industry – trends that come and go and return again.

The Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker era of Aston Martin – spanning roughly 20 years, beginning in the 1990s – arguably returned the British marque to highs not seen since the DB5 of the 1960s.

Aston Martin has always lived in that space between the likes of Porsche and Ferrari, bridging the gap between high-end sports cars and supercars with stunning vehicles, and powered by V8 and V12 engines in the modern era.

The V12 Vantage of 2009 remains, in my opinion, one of the most spectacular cars to be produced in recent times – combining its smallest car with its largest engine of the period.

But tightening emissions laws, increasing performance, and changing expectations of technology from buyers were among the reasons Aston Martin turned to Mercedes-AMG to supply it with V8 engines for its new generation of models.

As a lover of the Callum/Fisker era, it felt like the British automaker lost something when it turned to these brutish German engines. Of course, these powertrains are fantastic in AMG models, but, from the outside at least, it felt like the wrong choice for Aston Martin.

The interiors were also a misstep initially, with squircle steering wheels and brushed aluminium surfaces like those found in a Ford Fiesta, and an outdated infotainment system.

To its credit, the company listened to the critics and has continued to develop the Vantage.

The result is this: the 2026 Aston Martin Vantage S, which receives significant chassis upgrades, as well as changes to the powertrain, exterior, and driver controls – building on the positive updates the company has already made to the model.

Along with revised Bilstein DTX dampers, for the S, engineers have removed the bushings from the rear-end and hard-mounted the body to the subframe, while softening the transmission mounts and rear springs.

On the outside, the Vantage S gets a new aerokit with a more prominent rear lip spoiler, bonnet vents, gloss black highlights, and smoked tail-lights.

Finished in stunning Xenon Grey metallic paint, this particular vehicle features carbon-ceramic brakes, 21-inch Y-spoke forged alloy wheels in satin black, a gloss black roof, and additional black highlights.

But the question here is whether these changes have returned the Aston Martin to its rightful place as one of the most desirable high-performance sports cars available. So, we spent some time in the Vantage S to find out.

How much does the Aston Martin Vantage cost?

The Aston Martin Vantage range is priced from $410,000 before on-road costs – with the Vantage S costing just $10,000 more.

However, the vehicle on test here has more than $110,000 worth of options fitted, sitting pretty at $530,170 plus on-road costs. Which means this Vantage S costs about $1170 more expensive than the Aston Martin DB12 S Volante at the time of writing.

Add fees, taxes, and rego costs, and the Vantage S will cost approximately $726,000 drive-away based on a Melbourne address.

Away from Gaydon, that kind of money will get you the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, McLaren Artura, or the Maserati MC20 – either the Coupe or Cielo. The Ferrari Amalfi is also due to arrive in Australia in late 2026, priced from around $500,000 before on-road costs.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Aston Martin Vantage like on the inside?

Our Aston Martin Vantage S has a decent list of options, most of which are related to the interior.

These include S-specific highlights in red, plus red seatbelts, an interior jewellery pack in satin dark chrome, ventilated seats, a heated Alcantara steering wheel, and semi-aniline leather with Alcantara trim, contrast stitching and red piping.

From behind the wheel, it’s clear Aston Martin has paid particular attention to the cabin – ensuring it feels special, but without losing functionality. And while it’s mostly hits, there are some misses.

The steep angle of the infotainment screen means it’s more prone to catching the sun, making it hard to read when the circumstances aren't right. There’s also lots of piano-black plastic on the centre stack, which, when the light hits it in certain areas, appears wavy – just as it does in some Toyota models. 

And, though I was specifically told there was “no fake chrome anywhere inside,” I’m almost certain that some of the small ornamental trims are indeed chrome-coated plastic.

The knurled thumbwheels – while metal, and excellent – do have some sideways deflection during use that could be fixed with inexpensive rubber O-rings. It’s a little frustrating, because these are so close to being perfect.

While crisp to look at and easy to use – and certainly an improvement on the systems of a few years ago – the infotainment system failed to load Apple CarPlay a couple of times during our time with the Vantage. We also tried poking around to use CarPlay Ultra, but didn't have any luck with it, with everything just appearing like standard CarPlay.

Then there are the seats, which are comfortable and supportive, with the Alcantara ensuring you’re locked in during hard cornering. However, the driver’s pew seemed to shift ever so slightly forward and backward as I accelerated and braked, which was a little disconcerting.

To be sure, these aren’t significant issues, and the interior is a properly lovely place to find yourself, if you’re so lucky.

Aside from the relatively minor complaints above, the fit and finish is superb, as you would reasonably expect – exceeding my own expectations. A lot of time, money, and consideration have clearly gone into making this cabin truly exceptional.

In fact, the Aston Martin Vantage S is home to my favourite piece of switchgear ever fitted to an automobile.

The red anodised drive mode selector that surrounds the start/stop button is tight and has a substantial mechanical click to it, making it an utter joy to use. The material, the knurling pattern, and the snickety action feel more akin to military aviation than a luxury sports car.

I found myself switching between driving modes unnecessarily, just for an excuse to engage with the red dial. It was the thing I pointed to and made each of my passengers try out, with the same level of enthusiasm that is normally employed by trainspotters – quickly dispelling any illusions my passengers may have of me being cool for pulling up in an Aston.

The milled metal drive selector is almost as satisfying, with a heavy notchiness to it that makes it feel anything but flimsy. Another driver interaction that’s a genuine joy to use.

Behind the thick Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel are the paddle shifters – also metal – which provide a gratifying muted click during engagement.

Throughout the cabin, almost all of the major touchpoints are either high-quality metal, leather, or Alcantara. Everywhere else, it’s satin carbon-fibre.

Along with the high-quality materials, there’s a tautness about the interior, in the same way you find with the cabin of a Porsche 911. That is possibly the highest praise that could be levelled at this cabin. But there's a substantial quality to the Aston Martin that goes beyond.

Ahead of the driver is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that is clear and bright, and despite the occasional connection issues with my iPhone, I appreciated the use of the Aston Martin font on the screen – making the technology feel classy and high-end.

Thankfully, there aren’t many reasons to dive into the menus in the infotainment screen, due to the centre stack of buttons and the four knurled thumbwheels controlling audio volume, fan speed, and temperatures for the dual-zone climate control.

Many automakers tend to claim their vehicles have premium sound systems, but this Bowers & Wilkins audio system is on another level. Listening to podcasts felt like a waste of good audio engineering, so I spent my time behind the wheel going through a catalogue of some of the best-produced albums of the modern era just to make the most of it.

Ingress and egress don’t demand the kind of effort that supercars often require. The shoulderline is quite high, however, with the bottom of the door window being literally at the top of my shoulder. The result is a feeling of security and privacy, but it also discourages cruising with your elbow on an open windowsill. Rearward visibility is also limited, forcing the driver to take more time to conduct head-checks during lane changes.

Finding my ideal driving position took some time, with multiple adjustments required during my first day with the Vantage – but once it came together, it felt very right.

Being a two-seater, there’s a decent amount of room under the surprisingly heavy rear hatch. Certainly enough for two weekend bags, and then some, allowing the Aston to be used as a grand tourer. Another feather in its cap.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What's under the bonnet?

The Aston Martin Vantage S is powered by a 4.0-litre V8, with twin turbochargers in a 'hot-vee' configuration.

Sourced from Mercedes-AMG, the engine sends 500kW of power and 800Nm of torque to the rear wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

According to Aston Martin, the Vantage S can reach 100km/h from a standstill in 3.4 seconds, on a top speed of 325km/h.

While our overall fuel consumption ended up at 19.3L/100km, we recorded around 12L/100km on the majority of our trips in the vehicle – matching the company's combined claim of 12.1L/100km.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Aston Martin Vantage drive?

Curiously, despite being borrowed from AMG, the Vantage's powertrain has somewhat of a different character on the road.

It's less like an anvil dropped from a bridge, and more like the mallet of a stone sculptor – with the driver being the point chisel. Strength and precision; robust and artisanal.

Mercifully, the Aston Martin Vantage S can be driven slowly, calmly. There’s plenty of theatre from that V8 pretty much all of the time, but it can be driven lazily around town. Cabin insulation is very good, too, contributing to the feeling of luxury.

A bit of weight on the throttle though, and the twin turbochargers kick in, sending the car towards the horizon line with frightening speed. Above 4000rpm, this thing is missile-fast.

The engine is spectacular, delivering a thick wave of torque before the turbos spool up, and you’re riding a tsunami of power. All with that marvellous V8 soundtrack.

Behind it, the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission acts just like the auto in your aunt’s BMW during city driving, rolling through gears without fanfare. Yet it snaps violently when called upon – with the rear-end scrambling to find grip from the 325-section tyres as it punches through gears.

While beautifully sedate when you need it to be, and savagely quick when you want it to be, the Aston doesn’t like being driven in between.

The middle ground doesn’t seem to suit the tuning of the car, which seems like it doesn't entirely understand what you’re trying to achieve, with the transmission getting confused and holding gears.

Whereas some cars are fuzzy on the outer edges, the Vantage is sharp – only losing focus when you try to access six-tenths of its potential. This isn’t so much a criticism as it is a heads-up.

What it does mean is you can cruise peacefully in traffic, then unleash hell for a few short moments when the road opens up. Stay on the throttle for anything longer than that, and you’ll be front-page news.

In traffic, you do have to be aware of its dimensions. For what is the company’s 'entry-level' model, for want of a better term, the Vantage isn’t small. But that seems to be the case nowadays with pretty much any coupe with eight cylinders or more.

However, the 360-degree camera makes parking in tight spaces quite an easy affair, which isn't always the case with cars with high shoulder lines and wide rear guards.

One feature we would like to have had was a nose lift, just to help avoid potentially damaging the front carbon-fibre lip on steep driveways and car park ramps.

Also, we did notice there was an occasional prominent clicking noise from somewhere near the back of the car under moderate acceleration. We weren’t able to establish whether this was the differential binding under torque load, or if it was the hard mounts of the subframe settling, or some other bushing under the car. It wasn’t ever a concern, but I would have preferred to know what it was.

The chassis is really wonderful, though. The 30-profile tyres and hard-mounted body mean impacts from speed humps and road imperfections are transferred to the occupants, but the Bilsteins take that initial shock out of the hits, so there’s never any wincing or bruised ribs. Tellingly, there’s no comfort mode available from that perfect red dial – just Sport, Sport Plus, Track, Individual, and Wet.

It also means there’s instant communication to and from every corner of the car, helped by direct inputs from the steering and accelerator. It’s not at the level of the 911 GT3 by any stretch, but the Aston Martin can also relax – something the Porsche has a hard time doing.

Around bends, the body of the Vantage S remains flat and stuck to the road surface, with torque-vectoring technology helping to propel the vehicle through and out of corners. The front-end is pointy without being nervous, with tremendous amounts of grip, assisted by the Aston-specific Michelin tyres.

With the V8 mounted almost entirely behind the front axle, the Aston Martin is more or less a front/mid-engined car – allowing it to take corners in a way that is neutral and predictable.

We’d love to be able to tell you how the chassis reacts when truly pushed to its limit, or even close to it, but we frankly couldn’t get within a cooee of that limit on public roads. Wide-open throttle also wasn't achievable during our test – though not through lack of trying.

Most of the time, I was driving in Individual mode, which gives the driver the ability to choose from settings relating to the accelerator, suspension, steering, and exhaust. The sports exhaust button was also pushed each time I left my neighbourhood.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Vantage is the sound from those black tailpipes. It makes all the right noises both on and off throttle, at a level that can be heard, though not to the point of being antisocial.

The massive carbon-ceramic brakes are excellent, with a good balance of pedal progression and outright performance, and without any squeaks or squeals. Again, these weren’t able to be used to their full potential, but even when cold I appreciated having that level of braking performance available to access.

That chassis, coupled with that powertrain, equates to a roaring, bracing driving experience that is akin to supercars with much higher price tags.

The Vantage has broad capability. It can be used to commute in traffic like a Ford Mustang GT (which is no insult), and unleashed as a sports car on mountain roads, at a supercar track day, or for a weekend away up the coast with your partner.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Aside from the coupe and convertible body styles, Aston Martin has two variants of the Vantage on sale – the standard model, and the Vantage S.

2026 Aston Martin Vantage standard equipment highlights:

• ‘Swan Wing’ frameless doors
• 21-inch five-spoke forged alloy wheels in gloss silver
• Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres
• Matrix LED high- and low-beam headlights with auto high-beam
• LED daytime running lights
• Signature full-width LED tail-lights with dynamic indicators
• Chrome exterior highlights
• 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, and Bluetooth
• 10.25-inch digital instrument display
• Apple CarPlay Ultra
• Android Auto
• App functionality
• Wireless phone charger
• Natural voice control
• 360-Watt 11-speaker Aston Martin audio system
• Two USB ports
• 12V socket
• Automatic two-zone climate control
• Heated seats
• Electric tilt and reach steering column adjustment
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Ambient lighting
• Laminated windscreen with clear noise-insulation layer
• Door-integrated puddle lighting
• Anodised aluminium sill plaques with Aston Martin wings
• Keyless entry
• Keyless start/stop button
• Rain-sensing windscreen wipers

Aston Martin Vantage S adds:

• Vantage S-specific styling package
• Gloss black exterior highlights
• Full-width rear decklid spoiler
• Lower Body Package with front splitter, side sills, rear diffuser and decklid spoiler
• Hand-crafted S badging on both front fenders
• Heated sports steering wheel trimmed in Alcantara
• Alcantara seats, headlining
• Painted brake calipers in black, red or Aston Martin Green as standard
• S-specific throttle pedal weighting and software tuning
• Recalibrated launch control
• Solid-mounted rear subframe
• Enhanced Bilstein adaptive damper software

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Aston Martin Vantage safe?

As with most high-end luxury vehicles and supercars, the Aston Martin Vantage remains unrated by either ANCAP and its sister organisation, Euro NCAP.

Standard safety features:

• 4 airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Brake assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Forward collision warning
• Driver monitoring system
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 360-degree cameras
• Traffic sign recognition
• Door exit assist

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Aston Martin Vantage cost to run?

Aston Martin offers a relatively short three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty on its new cars, with complimentary roadside assistance for the duration.

Service information isn't published for the Vantage in Australia, with pricing available upon request from dealerships.

To see how the Aston Martin Vantage lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert's Take on the Aston Martin Vantage S

As with music and fashion, there are trends in the automotive industry that come into popular culture, before fading out and returning decades later.

Being a lover of the Callum/Fisker models, I had initially thought the AMG powertrain was the wrong fit for Aston Martin. But then I remembered the V8 Vantage built between 1977 and 1989 – available with a 6.3-litre V8 making 336kW, if you can believe it. It was more brutish than earlier Astons, blurring the lines between muscle car, British sports car, and supercar.

And that’s exactly what the latest Vantage S is. The company is tapping into its past, but from an era I didn’t immediately associate with the Aston Martin badge. Come at it from that approach, and the vehicle makes a lot of sense. Even more so after you drive it.

This car combines one of the best interiors I’ve experienced, with a monster twin-turbo V8 powertrain, a spectacular chassis, and a frankly stunning body. I can’t recall getting so many looks from passers-by as I did driving this thing, with the metallic gunmetal grey paint looking like it was infused with liquid mercury under the sun.

Then there’s the drive-mode selector dial, which is pure art for those of us with a penchant for automatic diving watches and military aviation.

On the road, the Aston can turn into a properly engaging weapon – and a fun one at that, which isn’t always the case with supercars. Yet, while its performance is surely impressive, that isn’t its best attribute (it isn’t far off, mind you).

No, it’s that the Vantage S is, thankfully, not on all the time. There is a controlled anger that sits just under the surface, with all the presence of an English gangster wearing a tailored suit – that expensive cloth hiding lean muscle. A level of respect is demanded at all times, thanks to a temper that is easily accessed.

It almost feels like Aston Martin engineers made a list of their favourite attributes from across the industry – and beyond – and put them all into one car. Which is a wonderful aim, but the fact they’ve been able to combine them to make such a cohesive and engaging package is a formidable achievement.

It takes the very best aspects of muscle cars, sports cars, supercars, and GTs, and combines them all within a stunning and sophisticated coupe body. Yes, the Vantage S is indeed special, and worthy of your money – if not, your love.

It’s a new era at Aston Martin.

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MORE: Explore the Aston Martin Vantage showroom