Aston Martin switches all cars to AMG powertrains

The British supercar maker will soon be revealing its development strategy for the coming years, but the media seem to have gotten their hands on some documents ahead of their official release.

For one thing, reports claim that Aston Martin will be putting the Valhalla hypercar project on hold to replace its apparently suboptimal hybrid powertrain with a Mercedes-AMG one.

In all likelihood, this refers to the E Performance powertrain that consists of a V8 and a single electric motor. Its nominal output amounts to 816 PS (805 hp / 600 kW), and the peak torque exceeds 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft).

The marque’s first petrol-electric hybrid – a DBX SUV variant based on Mercedes-AMG 53 tech – is set to debut later this year. A 3.0-liter inline-six turbo will allegedly give it 435 PS (429 hp / 320 kW) and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque, while a 48-volt EQ Boost starter will add 16 PS (16 hp / 12 kW) and 250 Nm (183 lb-ft) on top of that.

A DBX PHEV and a few front-engined Aston Martin E Performance models should arrive in two years. The DBS Superleggera, DB11 and Vantage should receive major updates by the same time to enable a full transition to non-ICE powertrains.

The first full EV with the Aston Martin badge is expected to arrive in four years’ time based on the MEA platform of the Mercedes-Benz EQS liftback. This one should get access to a range of traction batteries sized up to 100 kWh and a variety of optional chargers rated up to 350 kW.

A battery sports car and an e-SUV are also expected four years from now, the latter most likely being a DBX successor.

By the beginning of the next decade, hybrid and all-electric cars should make 90 percent of the Aston Martin lineup. The remaining 10% will be sold exclusively in the countries where full electrification of personal transports is not a priority.