First-Ever Aston Martin SUV Will be Available As A Hybrid (20+ Pics)

The LA Auto Show is underway, and there are a ton of great stories coming out the automotive universe from all corners. In the world of supercars, however, you could convincingly argue that the first-ever Aston Martin SUV– the all-new DBX shown here– is the biggest story news of them all.

The example shown off to the press earlier was stuffed with a Mercedes-derived 4.0 liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produced some 550 HP (PS) and more than 500 lb-ft of TQ. Unfortunately, it also produced a bunch of carbon emissions, which made it seem like less of a clean tech story than I would have liked. As such, I moved on quickly. But– thankfully!– Jonathan Lee and Paul Tan did not, and they managed to score what was absolutely the scoop of the week (so far) when they got Aston Martin’s senior manager of global product management, Neil Hughes, to “(confirm) that Aston was working on fitting the DBX with Mercedes’ turbo straight-six, which gets a 48-volt mild hybrid system.”

That’s right. The same 429 HP straight-six that’s coupled with an electric motor, a twin-scroll turbo, and an electric compressor in the AMG E53 super sedan is being prepped for duty in Aston Martin’s super-sexy SUV.

Mercedes’ AMG 3.0 Liter Hybrid Engine

In the words of Road & Track editor Chris Perkins, “Torque defines the E53. Mercedes says there’s a maximum of 384 lb-ft, which is available from 1800 to 5800 rpm, but it feels like it has more. The ISG muscles the car along with authority at low revs, while the combination of the electric compressor and exhaust-driven turbo take care of everything beyond with no perceptible lag.”

If that kind of performance– and the 28 MPG HWY fuel economy rating that comes with it– translates to the Aston, it could mean a lot more positive PR for hybrids and EVs at the extreme upper end of the market (the 0.1%), and that’s a good group of people to convince of anything, you know?

Maybe I’m just too easily swayed by the famous supercar marques electrifying anything at all, and you should just ignore me. What do you guys think? Scroll down past the official Aston Martin DBX photo gallery, below, and let us know what you think of this swanky new SUV in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Keep an eye out for the cute doggos, too!