In case you didn’t know, performance SUVs are in. Lamborghini sells the Urus, Ferrari’s working on a super SUV, and the Jeep Trackhawk has embarrassed plenty of sports cars at the drag strip. Aston Martin wants to join the party and is doing so with the DBX 707. The British marque claims that the DBX 707 is the fastest and most powerful SUV, at least out of the ones that only guzzle gasoline, in the world.
Let’s start with the best bit first. The DBX 707 comes with an upgraded version of the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine that you’ll find in a lot of AMGs. Aston took the engine, added new turbochargers, and revised the calibration and tuning to increase output to 697 horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque.
Over the standard DBX, which isn’t a slouch, the DBX 707 has an extra 155 hp and 147 lb-ft of torque — or roughly an entire Honda Civic’s worth of more power. That, for the record, is more than what well-to-do-speed freaks can get from the Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus, or Bentley Bentayga.
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America’s Jeep Trackhawk and Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat have a little more firepower, but they aren’t available for the 2022 model year. So, Aston Martin’s claim that the DBX 707 is the “world’s most powerful luxury SUV” is accurate.
In addition to updating the engine, Aston has resorted to using AMG’s updated nine-speed wet-clutch automatic transmission instead of the regular DBX’s nine-speed unit. The gearbox was a must to handle the engine’s higher output and results in quicker shifts. With the increase in power and the new transmission, Aston Martin says the DBX 707 will be able to get to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and onto a top speed of 193 mph.
Aston isn’t out to set a new land speed record with the DBX 707. The automaker is looking to usurp the Cayenne Turbo GT’s 7.38.9 time at the Nürburgring. For that endeavor, the SUV also comes standard with carbon-ceramic brakes at the front with 16.5-inch rotors and 15.4-inch rotors at the back. Sticky Pirelli P Zero summer tires will be fitted to the SUV as standard, though more aggressive tires will be fitted to the vehicle for the Nürburgring time.
The DBX 707 promises to handle far better than its SUV body lets on with an updated electronic limited-slip rear differential, new tuning for the adaptive air suspension, upgraded damper valves, and a new 48-volt anti-roll system. Clearly, Aston Martin’s new CEO Tobias Moers isn’t joking around about setting quick lap times with the SUV.
Aston Martin didn’t endow the DBX 707 with this kind of performance without updating the SUV’s look. The performance variant features a larger front bumper and, somehow, an even larger grille. The rear end of the SUV has a massive diffuser and a quad exhaust system. Enormous 22-inch wheels are standard, while consumers that really want to test whether potholes can pop tires can opt for 23-inch wheels. The cabin gets new sport seats, an updated center console that now features a rotary gear selector, as well as shortcut buttons to toggle through the SUV’s various drive mode settings.
With high-performance SUVs more desired than Nashville Hot chicken these days, we can certainly see the DBX 707 become a popular option. Aston believes the amped-up version could account for 60% of all DBX sales. That estimate is even with the DBX 707’s outrageous starting price tag of $235,086. Consumers wanting a more powerful DBX will have to pay $50,000 more than a standard DBX.
