Aston Martin DBX vs BMW XM

What's the difference?

As with all Aston Martins the DBX is a seriously beautiful car with that high-end exotic but restrained exterior styling for which the brand is known. As with all Astons, too, the busy interior design may put some minimalism fans off and those high-placed shifting buttons pose a functionality problem.

As an SUV the DBX is spacious and practical. You could use this daily as a family car. I did and found it easy to adapt to.

The driving experience left me disappointed. I didn’t feel the same close connection with the DBX while driving that I have had with other super SUVs, such as the Lamborghini Urus and more affordable models offered by Porsche and Mercedes-AMG.

But then, you see those other cars everywhere, unlike the DBX which is a rare and beautiful creature, despite the flaws.

It’s pretty obvious the XM is designed to impress people with big wallets and an appetite for a techy experience that’s also not without a few green credentials. The ability to motor around as a fully-electric vehicle for up to 80km or so is a big plus and the electric-ballroom interior vibe is hard to ignore, as well.

But from our perspective, the full-fat, twin-turbo V8, while offering startling performance, is perhaps a lost opportunity to follow some of BMW’s competitors into the engine-downsizing space. Then again, when you floor the throttle and 2700kg hurtles forward like a big dog on a short chain, you can see where BMW is coming from.

Perhaps the biggest letdown is the ride quality – or lack of it. While it’s understandable BMW wanted the most dynamic version of the XM it could manage, the end result plays against the vehicle’s otherwise long suit of hyper-luxury. Doubtless, BMW would argue that to soften the chassis would have been to introduce a chink into a no-compromise product. But, perhaps, sometimes a sensible compromise is the way forward.