“A sabre in a segment of sledgehammers.” That’s what Aston Martin is calling its latest effort.
As anyone who’s watched a little Forged in Fire knows, the saber (we’ll spell it the American way until the Brits start pronouncing “coupe” as one syllable) is the most balanced of swords. It’s powerful and delicate, unbreakable but poised.
It’s not a bad comparison for an all-wheel-drive crossover with a genuine dirt mode and a 0-60 mph sprint 0.2 seconds faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS.
The DBX707 (so close to 007) is not just a more powerful DBX. It wears that SUV’s body, but most of the running gear is new. The price is new as well. The DBX707 carries a sticker of $232,000, plus a $3,086 destination fee (which may be the industry’s highest). That’s a premium of more than $50,000 over the standard DBX.
AMG Engine and Transmission, Aston Martin Chassis Tuning
Under the hood sits a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 borrowed from Mercedes’ AMG performance division. Here, it makes 697 horsepower – earning Aston’s claim that this is the world’s most powerful luxury SUV with a 27-horsepower advantage over the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid.
It sends power to all four wheels through a wet-clutch 9-speed automatic transmission also borrowed from AMG. Using launch control and the grip of a set of Pirelli P Zero summer tires with no business going one inch off the road, it can make that 0-60 mph leap in 3.1 seconds.
That doesn’t make it the quickest SUV on the market. It’s a tie for first place: The new Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT can match that sprint. But the Cayenne GT was tuned for the track. Could the DBX707 keep up with it in the corners?
Aston engineers would probably like the try. They’ve stiffened the chassis with new braces and an underbody panel, stiffened the anti-roll system, and boosted the dampers in the adjustable suspension. All of those tweaks should dramatically improve handling. A new electronic rear differential should help it speed out of the corners. And carbon-ceramic brakes bring it all to a stop while saving weight outside the springs.
Air Vents Everywhere, Race-Inspired Cabin
Park the DBX707 next to the standard DBX, and you’d have no trouble telling which was which. The new model features a larger grille, larger air intakes to feed that Mercedes engine, and cooling ducts to keep those brakes performing well in heavy use. Out back, there’s a big roof spoiler, a rear diffuser, and four exhaust tips in black satin.
Inside, lightweight sport seats are standard. Buyers can have them upholstered in semi-aniline leather or grippy Alcantara faux suede. Three design themes let buyers choose an interior look. All three use a new lower instrument panel with race-car-style switches to control drive and suspension modes – a refreshing touch in a segment where drivers are used to paging through menu after menu on a touchscreen.
