Aston’s SUV offers phenomenal performance in DBX707 guise, but hasn’t lost its everyday driveability
Aston Martin claims its new DBX707 is nothing less than the supercar of SUVs. Producing a mighty 707hp (520kW), and sprinting to 100km/h in just 3.3sec before topping out at 310km/h, the scintillating DBX flagship certainly has what it takes to battle the very quickest SUVs on the market. But Aston also knows that’s not enough. The DBX707 features a huge raft of changes designed to not only improve performance but daily comfort too. Read on to find out why we’d pick one over a Lamborghini Urus or Bentley Bentayga Speed any day of the week…
Don’t be shy
Costing $71,000 more than the standard DBX, it’s hard not to balk at the asking price of $428,000 plus on-road costs for the 2022 Aston Martin DBX707, especially since few will ever change hands at the base recommended retail price.
Of course, most buyers will spend tens of thousands more on personalisation, but it’s still reassuring to know that the mega-performance SUV comes well equipped before any fancy fripperies are added.
As standard – and as you’d rightly expect at such a high price point – you get supremely comfortable 16-way sports seats, a high-spec sound system, wireless phone charging, keyless go, three-zone climate control, park assist, a 360-degree camera, power tailgate and LED headlights, along with 22-inch wheels, enormous carbon-ceramic brakes and a sports exhaust system.
There’s also adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic warning, blind spot waning and auto high beam assist.
Ahead of the driver is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch centrally-mounted infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay but is still only operated using a rotary controller.
As part of the upgrades, soft-close doors have also been added for the first-time following customer feedback.
The options on our test car at launch included special Aston Martin Q paint, larger 23-inch wheels, smoked tail-lights, rear tinted windows, carbon-fibre trim and higher-grade leather with contrast stitching.
It also came with individual touches like lime-painted brake callipers and black Aston Martin wing badges.
Superior engine
When Aston Martin’s first-ever SUV was finally shown in all its glory in late-2019, engineers insisted the company’s twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 would slip in comfortably. But now we know that was never the plan.
Even as far back as 2015, when work began on the Aston’s rival to the Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus, engineers knew a future high-output version of the Mercedes-AMG engine was in development.
And as much as it must hurt those involved with the in-house V12’s creation, the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 remains the superior engine.
Especially when you pop open the bonnet of the 2022 Aston Martin DBX707 and see how far back into the bulkhead the car-maker was able to package the more compact V8 for a remarkable 48:52 front-rear weight distribution.
Liberating extra power from the AMG M177 twin-turbo V8 sounds relatively simple. Engineers threw on a pair of bigger turbos (complete with fancy quicker-to-react ball bearings), recalibrated the engine’s ECU and, hey presto, power rockets by 115kW to an incredible 520kW and torque rises by 200Nm to an almost-herculean 900Nm.
Despite liberating big power, engineers did not stop there.
Ensuring the power was more efficiently channelled to the rear wheels, Aston dumped the standard car’s nine-speed auto and introduced yet another nine-cog unit from AMG’s parts bin. The latter features a better wet-clutch pack in place of the torque converter.
The new clutch pack minimises transfer losses and helps offer far snappier changes with the added bonus of introducing a launch control feature for the first time.
The new transmission triggered a cascade of changes that include a shorter and thicker carbon-fibre prop shaft, a fresh centre transfer case and a upgraded rear electronically-controlled limited-slip differential that features a seven per cent shorter final drive for punchier mid-gear overtaking.
Select launch control (available in Sport and Sport+ driving modes) and Aston Martin claims the DBX707 sprints from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds and 0-160km/h in 7.4 seconds, before eventually topping out at 310km/h.
Those figures are even more remarkable when you consider they’re on the conservative side. A fit and healthy DBX707 on fresh rubber should easily be capable of a 0-100km/h dash in 2.9 seconds.
All this from a big, heavy SUV that can still wade in up to 500mm of water and tow 2700kg.
Howling wolf
As well as dialling up the power, the British design team has also ramped up the visual menace of the 2022 Aston Martin DBX707.
The biggest change concerns the DBX’s snout, where there’s a wider grille that’s said to be 27 per cent larger and improves cooling by 80 per cent.
There’s also extra air intakes and new cooling brake ducts, along with a new lower front splitter that, along with fresh wheel spats, cut lift over the front axle by five per cent.
Dark chrome replaces brightwork, and new gloss black sill extensions have been added, hinting at the extra wind tunnel work.
At the rear, there’s a new lip spoiler added to the rear wing to add downforce, plus a new bumper and much larger rear diffuser. Finally, a newly engineered quad rear sports exhaust has been introduced.
The result is a wider, more muscular SUV, especially when riding on the largest 23-inch rims.
Those huge wheels are important, say engineers, who claim the majority of R&D work was carried out on them. This included the development of a bespoke Pirelli P Zero tyre that features both a unique compound and structure specially tailored to the DBX707’s breadth of capabilities and, let’s be honest, substantial weight.
Despite considerable kilo-cutting that involved the deployment of plenty more exotic materials, any savings have been offset by the extra hardware and that means the big bruiser of an Aston still weighs in at around 2.3 tonnes.
Remarkably, fuel consumption and emissions are no worse than the base DBX, although a 14.2L/100km thirst is still nothing to write home about.
What is worth screaming from the rooftops is how the DBX707 drives.
If you’ve driven (or drive) the standard Aston SUV, we reckon all of 10 metres will broadcast the differences.
It’s the steering that gives the game away. As well as the usual magical software tweaks, the actual rack itself features nine per cent stiffer mounts which translates into less slack and more precise responses.
You soon learn it’s a familiar story with the DBX707, with nothing left alone in the pursuit of either improving performance or simply daily driveability – and that’s the key.
Engineers haven’t fallen into the trap of creating a one-dimensional Nurburgring record breaker that would punish you on your daily commute.
Quite the opposite, Aston claims the DBX707 is at least as comfortable as the standard car, even on the bigger wheels.
Speaking suspension, the key to unlocking extra agility has been stiffening up the top mounts and bushing for better ride over poor roads.
There’s new dampers all round, while updated software governing the active anti-roll bars have been improved. Both measures curb both roll and pitch under braking.
Overseeing the chassis electronic wizardry is a more powerful ECU that not only reacts quicker but can perform more sophisticated functions like softening off the front anti-roll bars as you turn into the corner on the front axle, while stiffening the rear.
Even the all-wheel drive system has been back to school. Thanks to its new transfer case, up to 100 per cent of torque can be shuffled to the rear axle, although most of the time it’s more like 70 per cent – a step-change over the 50:50 split before.
The result is an SUV that can drift for England, claim engineers. Not that we tried, but in the real world you can detect its rear bias.
Wax on, wax off
Before we begin to wax lyrical, there are a couple of disappointing aspects with the 2022 Aston Martin DBX707.
Aston hasn’t upgraded the now ancient infotainment system that doesn’t include touch-screen capability, and the new transmission at low speed occasionally either throws in a duff change or adds some unwanted driveline shunt.
But that’s about it.
If you’re well-heeled and want the fastest, best-driving super-SUV money can buy that doesn’t throw comfort out the window, stop reading and place a deposit for the Aston now. It’s that good.
Initially, you might think it’s not quite as fast as advertised, but that’s only in first and second gear when torque is limited. Find third or fourth and any questions over its phenomenal pace will forever be silenced in your mind.
We know the Tesla Model X Plaid is faster still (0-100km/h in 2.6sec) but, trust us, you don’t need anything quicker in something this big.
Size is never really a concern in the DBX707, such is the precision with which you can place it on the road, thanks to its steering, while the lack of body roll and sheer grip makes it feel 200kg lighter.
The best compliment we can pay is that on the tight and twisting country roads we drove at its international launch, the DBX707 felt more like a smaller super-sedan – just one with better visibility, thanks to its lofty driving position.
Also helping build confidence is the Aston’s carbon-ceramic brakes that are huge (420mm front, 390mm rear) and work beautifully both hot or cold and were actually built to withstand five continuous Nurburgring hot laps without fade.
Playing another starring role is the new nine-speed transmission that keeps up with the frenetic pace delivered by the twin-turbo V8.
Other honourable mentions are the new sports exhaust that is neither too loud nor barky, and the new lower console design that provides both an easier-to-use circular driving mode selector and shortcuts for both the exhaust and dampers.
Strict joy
At the end of a drive that will remain etched in my memory, an enthusiastic engineer who helped develop the 2022 Aston Martin DBX707 shows me exactly where beneath the boot floor the SUV will soon house its lithium-ion battery pack.
There’s even plenty of space to package an advanced electric rear axle, he proudly exclaims, hinting that future electrified DBX models will produce even more power and have even more performance.
There’s no mention of the inevitable weight gain, but that will be the price of progress.
In the meantime, aside from its thirst, the DBX707 – whether you’re a fan of SUVs or not – is a pretty complete performance car that will be an absolute joy to live with.
From its soundtrack and phenomenal cross-country pace to its decent ride and more muscular looks, the 707 easily justifies its hefty price premium over the standard DBX.
It has some formidable rivals, but the DBX707 demonstrates more dynamic talent than a Lamborghini Urus. The Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is perhaps a bigger threat, but the Aston rides better and just feels more special, which is reassuring given it’s $92K more expensive.
How much does the 2022 Aston Martin DBX707 cost?Price: $428,000 (plus on-road costs)Available: Third quarter 2022Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrolOutput: 520kW/900NmTransmission: Nine-speed automaticFuel: 14.2L/100km (WLTP)CO2: 323g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Aston Martin DBX707 2022 Review – International