Aston Martin Varekai 2019: Release date, prices and specs

Aston Martin is launching its first SUV next year in a bid to capitalise on the continued success of crossover cars.

Announced in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show in 2015, the DBX is a luxury SUV that is intended to take on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga at the higher end of the market.

Aston has kept details about the DBX under wraps since unveiling the concept, spawning countless rumours. Recent reports suggest that the DBX will be called the Varekai, which roughly translates as “wherever” in Romanian - a fitting choice, given that the car is tipped to be capable off-road.

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Although Aston officials still refer to the SUV as the DBX, the latest name claims surfaced after “Varekai” was spotted on an application for a new trademark, Autocar reports.

All will be revealed when the car makes its public debut towards the end of 2019.

In the meantime, here are other reported claims about the luxury crossover:

When does it come out?

According to Autocar’s Mark Tisshaw, the DBX development processes is almost complete and Aston Martin is gearing up to unveil the SUV “in around a year’s time”, with sales kicking off in early 2020.

How much will it cost?

The British carmaker has yet to announce pricing, but as a competitor to the £250,000 Rolls-Royce Cullinan and £165,000 Bentley Bentayga W12, the DBX is expected to cost between £180,000 and £220,000.

What will it look like?

The DBX concept gave fans an idea of what the crossover will look like, although the styling on production models is often toned down for safety and practicality reasons.

But if the prototype is anything to go by, the DBX will carry over many of the design cues that have appeared on Aston Martin’s most recent models.

These include the wide, low grille found on the DB11 grand tourer, while the prototype’s ultra-thin headlights are similar to those on the new Vantage sports car.

There are more DB11 styling cues at the back, with the DBX’s rear end and tail-light design mimicking that of its grand tourer sibling. The roof has been carried over from the DB11, too, with chrome pillars running from the base of the windscreen to the edge of the boot lid.

Although the concept is a two-door car, the production version “has been transformed into a more conventional five-door” layout, says Auto Express.

Aston Martin’s head of market, Simon Sproule, told the magazine that customers have already been shown the final design and that production-ready prototypes are currently being developed.

“It’s a proper car programme and it’s going through its first milestones,” he said, before confirming the 2019 launch window for the production model.

What are the technical specs?

CarBuyer expects the DBX to be powered by the 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine featured in Aston’s DBS Superleggera supercar and the DB11. The Mercedes-AMG 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, which is used in the Vantage and DB11 V8, may also be offered in entry-level trim.

In addition, it’s possible that the DBX will have an electrified powertrain of some sort, possibly in the form of a plug-in hybrid, the reviews site adds.