The Aston Martin DBX – the brand’s first-ever SUV – has begun testing on a Welsh Rally stage with a public reveal set for the tail-end of 2019.

Aston Martin has begun testing its first-ever SUV, the DBX, with the first development prototype being blasted along a Welsh Rally stage. It will go onto complete testing in “the frozen Arctic and scorching deserts of the Middle East to high Alpine passes and the high-speed demands of the German autobahn and Nürburgring Nordschleife”.

Aston Marting chose the Welsh Rally stage as a nod to the company’s new new St Athan production facility in the Vale of Glamorgan (Wales). Aston Martin said, the unique nature of the DBX meant the brand had to devise new testing regimes to ensure it performed with the “verve and poise of a true Aston Martin. “Its dynamic envelope has to extend into areas previously off-limits to the marque’s sporting roots. Naturally this includes impressive multi-terrain and towing capabilities as befits a state-of-the-art SUV.”

Speaking about his drive in the DBX development prototype, Aston Martin Chief Engineer, Matt Becker, said: “We have already developed and tuned DBX in the driving simulator, which has enabled us to make excellent progress in advance of the first physical prototype cars being available. Still, it’s always a big day when you get to put the first actual miles on an early prototype and I’m delighted with the near perfect correlation between the simulator and this prototype. As an engineer, it’s genuinely exciting to get a feel for the car you’re working to create. DBX is a very different kind of Aston Martin, but we will be testing it in all conditions and across all terrains to ensure it delivers a driving experience worthy of the wings badge”.