Aston Martin is hunting wild bulls.
The new DBX707 SUV is aimed squarely at the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, with 520kW of power and a whopping 900Nm of torque from its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine.
It’s due to come Down Under, priced from $428,400 before on-road costs.
UPDATE, 11:50am 02/03/2022 – Pricing for the DBX has been added to this story.
Sent to all four wheels through a new nine-speed wet clutch transmission, those swollen outputs – up 115kW and 200Nm on the regular DBX – help catapult the DBX707 to 100km/h in just 3.3 seconds from standstill.
That makes it faster than an Urus (3.6 seconds) in a straight line, and puts it in line with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.
Stopping the DBX707 is the job of 420mm front and 390mm rear carbon ceramic brakes, gripped by six-piston calipers.
All told, the new braking system cuts a massive 40kg of unsprung mass from the regular DBX, and Aston Martin says cooling has been optimised with new vents and underfloor vanes. 22-inch alloy wheels are standard, a set of 23s are optional.
Under the skin, the air suspension system has been retuned to better manage vertical movement, along with pitch under heavy throttle and squat under heavy braking, for better performance. Also retuned is the active anti-roll system.
Aston Martin says the electric power steering has been adjusted to improve steering feel, building pressure more quickly off centre to give the driver a better idea of what’s happening as load builds at speed.
“Creating the ultimate SUV presented formidable challenges for our engineering team. Too often this class of car is characterised by a thuggish obsession with brute force,” said Aston Martin head of vehicle engineering, Drummond Jacoy.
“With DBX707 our objective was to match immense performance with impeccable control and precision, combined with an authentic sporting character essential in every Aston Martin model.”
Inside, the centre console is lower than in the standard DBX, and there’s a special drive mode switch on the dash to stop drivers having to dig through the infotainment system to unlock the car’s full potential.
Externally, you won’t miss the 707. The grille has pronounced horizontal vanes, and there’s a prominent chin spoiler jutting out. There’s also a conspicuous rear diffuser, to help create “a more aggressive stance and greater muscularity”.
Along with the extensive range of standard colours, trims, and wheel designs, the teams at Q by Aston Martin is able to further customise the DBX to unique (or strange) tastes.
Global production will kick off during the first quarter of 2022, with deliveries to start in the second quarter.
Local timing hasn’t been confirmed, nor has pricing.
