Automakers

Aston Martin's first DBX rolls off the production line

Aston Martin DBX
Deliveries of the DBX will start later this month.
CP
By:
Costas Pitas
|
R
By:
Reuters
July 09, 2020 12:28 PM

LONDON -- Aston Martin's first DBX SUV rolled off the production line in Wales on Thursday.

The crossover is key to the automaker's hopes of a turnaround at the company which has seen changes in management and ownership over the last few months amid a torrid performance.

The automaker has had a difficult time since it floated in 2018 as sales disappointed and it burned through cash, prompting it to seek fresh investment from billionaire Lawrence Stroll.

Since then it has announced job cuts, is replacing its boss and has picked a new finance chief among a series of changes as it also responds to the coronavirus pandemic.

The DBX is the company's first foray into the lucrative ultraluxury crossover niche. It's a late entrant compared with many rivals such as Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

"The DBX has become the car that will drive Aston Martin into a bold new era," Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman said.

Deliveries will start later this month.

Work at the company's new factory in St Athan, South Wales, where the model is being built, had to stop in March as part of a lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

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Output restarted in May with safety measures in place, but the automaker has yet to set a restart date for plant in Gaydon, England, where its sports cars are built.

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