The new extraordinary: driving the new Aston Martin DBX to one of Taupō’s most luxurious lodges
It’s never a bad day in the office when an invitation arrives to drive something a bit special and stay in a lavish setting. I seldom get to enjoy that perk with the family in tow, so when the opportunity arose to showcase Taupō’s beautiful Kinloch Manor and earn some serious brownie points with my wife and son, I grabbed it with both hands. The transport? Aston Martin’s DBX.
PHOTOS Vinesh Kumaran WORDS Steve Vermeulen
Did somebody say take Aston Martin’s new DBX to one of Taupō’s most luxurious lodges? You don’t have to ask twice.
It’s never a bad day in the office when an invitation arrives to drive something a bit special and stay in a lavish setting. I seldom get to enjoy that perk with the family in tow, so when the opportunity arose to showcase Taupō’s beautiful Kinloch Manor and earn some serious brownie points with my wife and son, I grabbed it with both hands. The transport? Aston Martin’s DBX. “Well, okay. If I must.” The DBX is infused with a sense of adventure that bodes well for a family getaway. Even so, I didn’t quite know what to expect. After all, a debut foray into a high-riding, Labrador-toting SUV model isn’t without risk for any sportscar brand, not least one with more than a century of pedigree, such as Aston Martin. It’s all too easy to be blinded by nostalgia, but that’s simply not a realistic view of how we prefer to get around these days. SUVs from sportscar brands are the new normal. Or, at least in the DBX’s case, the new extraordinary. Inside the DBX is a superbly appointed cabin, richly perfumed by the leather covering over almost every surface. Aston Martin’s focus remains on the driving experience, and this goal hasn’t been complicated with superfluous technology, as can be the case with German counterparts. Rather ironically, however, the Brit brand actually relies quite heavily on German tech, leveraging the expertise and scale of Mercedes-Benz for quality audio and infotainment systems.
A central dial allows for the navigation of all functions and there are just three basic driving modes. You don’t need to be an IT guru to navigate your way through the media, navigation and drive functions. Critical information, including the sat-nav map graphic, can be presented within the high- resolution instrument cluster ahead of the driver as well. Despite relying on external suppliers for some elements, Aston Martin chose to be the master of its own destiny and develop a unique SUV chassis. The end result is deeply impressive. The DBX disguises its mass well, utilising double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension. Mechanically it’s very advanced, but also benefits from the latest in air suspension tech that adjusts both compression rate and ride height. Electronic torque vectoring to each wheel helps keep the 2.2-ton vehicle on the driving line and 48-volt active anti-roll bars and adaptive dampers also keep body roll to a minimum. Believe it or not, the DBX exhibits less roll than the smaller, sportier Vantage. Meanwhile, the well- planted all-wheel drive system delivers traction and torque management for optimum acceleration on corner exit, or sure-footedness if you really want to go off road. En route to Kinloch, my family and I settled in comfortably while the 542hp (404kW) V8 ate up the miles ahead. What felt like no time at all passed before we were on the country back roads of the Kinloch area, 20 minutes northwest of Taupō. Bright autumnal yellows and reds flashed past the DBX’s panoramic glass roof as we purred towards our destination.
We couldn’t help but voice a collective “Wow!” as we entered Kinloch Manor’s grounds. Despite being shrouded in low cloud, the vista remained deeply impressive, with Lake Taupō dominating the horizon. Kinloch’s central lodge rises from the landscape like a white stone fortress, while blackened-timber-clad suites nestle sympathetically into the hillside. Everything’s presented within the surrounds of a manicured golf course.
“It’s like a painting,” my son aptly suggested as we approached. The rendered stonework and generous use of monolithic slabs of timber continue throughout the lodge and dining area. Everywhere you look, beautifully detailed bespoke craftsmanship adorns the environment, from the smallest detail such as a bone domino set, to more substantial elements like the counter-weighted steel fireguards that hang in front of huge open fires, and the black timber ceiling with a 3D geometric form encompassing the generous square footage of the lodge. There’s a European and antipodean hybrid feel to Kinloch’s architecture and décor. It’s homely but doesn’t feel like home, with comforting spaces in which you can lounge in by the fire with a wine, soak up the views, plan some activities and chat before retreating to your accommodation. Our suite offered up another premium experience all its own. Two terraces opening onto the golf course provided panoramic views of the lake, while another large front deck replete with sun loungers invited relaxation. We knew we wouldn’t be catching many rays on this autumn visit, but lighting the wood burner (one of two fires in the two- bedroom suites) and kicking back for a few hours in the lavish surrounds was the ideal way to leave the day’s busy schedule behind. While my wife soaked in the enormous tub, my son and I took a golf buggy to the course for a scenic tour, and some driving and putting practice. The entire Kinloch experience is simply world class. We often forget just how magical our own backyard can be and investing in local luxury is arguably a far more rewarding experience in the world we inhabit right now. As for the DBX, it certainly presents a compelling case for luxury you can take with you when you leave.
Thanks to Luxury Lodges of New Zealand and Kinloch Manor for making our stay possible.
UNO Drives: the Bentley Bentayga
When Ettore Bugatti described the 1924 Le-Mans-winning Bentley 3-litre as ‘the world's fastest lorry’, he was trying to insult its winning durability. If only he knew what was in store nearly a century later. Driving the Bentayga down to Mount Maunganui from Auckland, there was nothing remotely lorry or truck-like about Bentley's foray into the SUV market.
Shaun Summerfield is a proper boy. He spent 17 years as a journalist, covering world cups and epic motor races across the world for Newshub. After a job of adrenaline-fuelled deadlines, Shaun is now the general manager of marketing and communications at the Giltrap Group. It's a role the suave petrolhead describes as, "Close to perfect: surrounded by some of the best cars on the planet and working for a family-owned company." He brings a brand new Bentley down to The Mount. It was a slower photoshoot than usual: the Bentayga certainly draws a crowd.
WORDS SHAUN SUMMERFIELD PHOTOS GRAEME MURRAY
When Ettore Bugatti described the 1924 Le-Mans-winning Bentley 3-litre as ‘the world's fastest lorry’, he was trying to insult its winning durability. If only he knew what was in store nearly a century later. Driving the Bentayga down to Mount Maunganui from Auckland, there was nothing remotely lorry or truck-like about Bentley's foray into the SUV market. Neither Signore Bugatti nor W.O. Bentley, I suspect, would ever have imagined the ‘Flying B’ adorning a diesel-powered SUV. Still, had they seen the numbers, they would have been impressed. My favourite is 48 – as in the 48-volt electrical system that provides the spark for two of the Bentayga diesel's most impressive features.
The first is ‘triple-charging’. Two mechanical, twin-scroll turbochargers are uniquely boosted by an electrically driven compressor, that third unit banishing turbo lag, meaning 900Nm of torque is delivered from 1000rpm. That means being able to virtually idle up the boat ramp at Sulphur Point, even hauling a Rayglass 2350 out of the water.
Fastest and most-refined
I never thought I'd be describing a Bentley as a great towing car. But the automotive world is changing fast, and Bentley are changing with it. Despite the sight of the never-seen-before-on-a-Bentley warning sticker on the filler cap, the Bentayga is as Bentley as any other automobile to come out of the Crewe factory.
It's the fastest and most refined diesel ever built, with a top speed of 270 kph. And most ‘Bentleyesque’ of all is the acceleration; despite weighing 2511 kg, the Bentayga dispatches 0 – 100 kph in 4.8 seconds.
That should take care of the diesel-perfumed elephant in the room, except to mention the other obvious upside: economy. This oil-burning Bentayga's official consumption figure is only 8 litres per 100 km.
More than a magic-carpet ride
One of the toughest challenges for this SUV is combining a magic-carpet ride with sporty handling. That's achieved with the second of those impressive Bentayga features – the Bentley Dynamic Ride (BDR) system.
Like the turbocharging, this system benefits from the 48-volt lithium-ion electrics. Even more than the engine boost, BDR is the Bentayga’s key to reproducing progress from the Bentley Continental GT in this SUV. Working together with the adjustable dampener system and air suspension, BDR controls the Bentayga’s roll bars, courtesy of electric motors that each produce 30% more grunt than the diesel engine (yes, really), helping the vehicle defy a few laws of physics and eliminate body roll.
All this technology operates in the background, almost silently, leaving passengers to enjoy the refined opulence that defines the brand. Bentley go to extraordinary lengths for their car interiors. There is simply nothing to fault inside this car. The most perfectly grained walnut comes from the root balls of old trees from California. The result is a wood grain you can’t stop looking at.
Incredible attention to detail
Only bulls from northern Europe are deemed worthy enough to supply the hides – 14 of them – needed to trim the Bentayga's interior, as they haven't been scarred by barbed wire. (It has to be bulls, not cows, so there are no stretch marks.) And the diamond-patterned seats take nearly a week of careful cross-stitching. You park your behind very gently indeed as you get in.
There is plenty of technology at hand, but it’s the trademark organ stops used to control the car's ventilation that sum up the Bentayga’s interior. They operate with a just-so level of resistance; all very old school, yet comfortably at home in Bentley's 'down-with-the-kids' SUV.
Like every Bentley, the Bentayga has a rather magnificent presence. But it's also a bona fide off-roader, and it's more capable than just about any other premium-luxury car. The suspension rises to offer 285 mm of ground clearance, with an official wading depth of 500 mm. Who'll be the first down that boat ramp at Sulphur Point to test it out? That pleasure will be yours, Team UNO.
auckland.bentleymotors.com