A hot version of the Aston Martin DBX SUV has been unveiled with almost 700bhp and a suite of performance upgrades. Here’s everything you need to know about it…
On sale April | Price from £189,000
If the thought of an Aston Martin DBX makes you go weak at the knees, we suggest you take a seat; the British marque has just unveiled a performance variant of the sports SUV, called the DBX707.
The name? No, it has nothing to do with a certain British spy. Instead, 707 actually signifies the power output – 707PS, which translates into a staggering 697bhp. Not only is that an immense amount of power, but it also means the DBX707 will be one of the most powerful SUVs on the market.
The styling of the DBX707 certainly suggests as much, and many of its flourishes are not just cosmetic but also functional. Up front, there’s a bold new chrome-finished grille (which has been enlarged to increase cooling airflow), and below that sits a new front splitter. These additions are also accompanied by new air intakes, LED daytime running lights and brake cooling ducts.
Around the side, the DBX707 features more heavily sculpted lines to give it a sportier stance, and at the rear there’s a new lip spoiler to increase high-speed stability. A larger rear diffuser and quad exhaust pipes are fitted to sharpen up the rear end, too.
Under the bonnet, the DBX707 features a significantly uprated version of the standard car’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8. Recalibrated to produce 697bhp and 664lb ft of torque (versus the standard car’s 543bhp and 516lb ft), the upgraded engine is said to propel the 2245kg SUV from 0-62mph in just 3.3sec – marginally quicker than the Lamborghini Urus’s time of 3.5sec.
Paired with the V8 is a new nine-speed ‘wet clutch’ automatic gearbox that is capable of handling much higher levels of torque than the unit in the regular DBX. We’re hopeful that the new gearbox will be an improvement over the standard car’s, because it doesn’t respond well to manual gearchanges, unlike the one you’ll find in the Porsche Cayenne Coupé.
To help cope with the increased performance, powerful carbon-ceramic brakes are standard, and the DBX707 should feel right at home on twisty roads thanks to a revised air suspension system and enormous (22in) wheels. The standard DBX is already an impressive-handling SUV, so we can expect this sportier model to be even sharper.
Inside, one of the significant changes compared with the regular DBX is the revised lower centre console. This houses the new driving mode switches, which enable you to tailor the suspension, traction control, manual gear selection and exhaust system settings. Unlike with the standard car, the gearbox will be able to hold onto gears like a manual gearbox (rather than changing up automatically). Meanwhile, the new exhaust system will be able open its internal valves (for some added noise) without the need to be in Sport mode.
Overall, we much prefer a button-orientated set-up like this for driving mode selection. With rivals such the Audi RS Q8, you have to dive through distracting sub-menus on a touchscreen – often difficult to do while driving.
Other changes with the interior include the addition of 16-way adjustable sport seats. Also unique to the DBX707 is dark chrome-finished switchgear and piano black veneers, which can also be switched for carbon fibre or bronze metal as an optional extra.
As standard, the DBX707 has soft-close doors, heated and cooled front seats, LED headlights and 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats. Even larger 23in wheels, painted brake calipers and comfort seats will be available as options.
Prices start at £189,000 – significantly higher than rivals such as the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, which starts from £132,060. It is, however, more in line with the Bentley Bentayga V8 S, which starts from £181,900.
Keyword: 2022 Aston Martin DBX707: price, specs and release date