DBX 707: SUV Supremacy
One of the red-hottest market segments right now is the super-fast, ultra-pricey “super SUV” slot. And this one leads the pack. Sure, Lamborghini’s got the Urus, Ferrari’s working on a super SUV, Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat has more firepower and the Jeep Trackhawk has already been coronated as the new truck to beat — with all of that — Aston Martin now introduces the DBX 707 — and claims that the DBX 707 is the fastest and most powerful internal combustion SUV in the world.
The DBX 707 comes with a powerful 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.
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.
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.
Like the regular DBX, the 707 has GT, Sport, and Sport Plus modes, which progressively increase the torque-vectoring effect of the active rear differential to help the car turn and also send more of the engine’s output to the rear axle. The stability control also has a more permissive Sport function, which allows significant power oversteer before intervening. The heroic (or foolhardy) can switch it off entirely.
The DBX range is out to prove that it’s the fastest SUV in the world. The current SUV record is 7:39, set by the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT last year, and although Moers refused to nominate a target time, it’s clear he expects the 707 to be quicker. We’re not entirely convinced, because our own Cayenne Turbo GT straight-line test results don’t just best Porsche’s claims, they also eclipse Aston Martin’s estimates for the DBX 707.
Aston Martin reckons the 707 will make up more than half of the DBX’s sales volume, despite a $235,086 starting price that makes it nearly $50,000 dearer than the standard version. Yet, while the standard DBX offers an impressively Aston-like driving experience, it isn’t close to the front of its ludicrously fast segment when it comes to raw performance. The 707 is set to redress that situation, and how. Don’t be surprised if the production version proves itself the fastest SUV of them all.
2023 Aston Martin DBX 707
Front-engine all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan SUV
PRICE
Base: $235,086
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 243 in3, 3982 cm3
Power: 697 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 663 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.1 sec
100 mph: 7.4 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.4 sec
Top Speed: 193 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 16/14/20 mpg
I invite any stock DBX 707 to run at the drag strip against my stock Model X Plaid. Now that would be fun how the fastest SUV loses by almost 2 seconds against my Model X Plaid