You know the drill. Flailing luxury automotive marque with a sporty heritage releases SUV to cater to the ever growing demand for ‘family-friendly’ vehicles; said SUV quickly becomes the top seller and turns the tide around. Rinse and repeat.
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First announced in early 2022, the Aston Martin DBX707 — a follow up to the DBX released in 2020 — joined the likes of Porsche’s Cayenne, Lamborghini’s Urus, Bentley’s Bentayga, and of course, the ‘not-an-SUV’ Ferrari Purosangue announced later that year, in the bid to claim the title of the world’s most powerful SUV.
And the British marque’s entrant proves an apt competitor. Courtesy of new ball bearing turbochargers and a bespoke engine calibration to the pre-existing Mercedes AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, the Aston Martin DBX707 boasts a not-so-casual 697 bhp (the moniker refers to its output in metric horsepower; slightly odd given Britain uses Imperial horsepower…but we digress) and 663 ft-lbs of twist. If sales of its predecessor, the DBX, are any indication, Aston Martin’s Hail Mary pass is set to be a successful one — the debut SUV accounted for over half (3219) of the 6412 cars sold globally in 2022.
Now performance stats and sales figures are all well and good, but all are naught if it isn’t actually fun to drive.
So, Albert Review headed to Sydney Motorsport Park in Eastern Creek to put the alleged ‘most powerful SUV in the world’ through its paces on the track. While potentially frowned upon for a suburban school run, activating Loud Start mode is the ideal fit for the track; triggering the satisfying roar of the exhaust note. Put your foot down with enough force and the 2.2 tonne behemoth (spacious backseat, ludicrously capacious boot and all) darts from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.3 seconds.
To cope with the increased power levels of the standard DBX, the DBX707 employs a new nine-speed wet clutch transmission to handle the torque without sacrificing smoothness. Coupled with Race Start — AM vernacular for launch mode — it sends enough power to all four wheels to force your musculoskeletal system back through the heated sports seats; stomach well and truly left back at the start line. In the hands (and under the foot) of the right driver, the DBX707 tops out at 310km/h, however yours truly lost her bravado just over the 250km/h mark.
Carbon ceramic brakes with 6-piston callipers come as standard, marking a 40.5kg weight reduction off the DBX. Revisions to the braking system work to improve pedal feel and brake response; perhaps a touch too responsive around certain corners for my unfortunate passenger. The DBX707 comes with 22-inch alloys as standard, however our variants rode on 23-inch wheels. Aston Martin claims the larger tyre diameter is accompanied by improved steering response and better body control. Indeed, there was little to no body roll and steering belies its heft.
With your eyes closed (don’t actually drive with your eyes closed), you almost feel like you’re driving a sports car. Until the kids start crying.
The Aston Martin DBX707 is priced from $428,400AUD (before ORC) and is available upon enquiry.
Words by T. Angel
