Plenty of high performance cars have been through my hands over the past three decades, but not many have left the impression that the Aston Martin DBX707 did.
Environmental protesters, on the other hand, will probably see the DBX707 as a perfect example of everything that upsets them. It is, for example, a vehicle that has an official fuel consumption of 19.9mpg but which, in the real world, will struggle to achieve a number in the teens.
There’s no doubt the standard DBX is a mighty beast with a power output of 560PS (or 552bhp in old money), but this newcomer has a massive 707PS, hence its name. Aston Martin has achieved this massive increase in power by fitting larger turbochargers to the 4.0-litre V8 engine (supplied by Mercedes-Benz ) that have low friction ball bearings to enable them to spin up to speed faster.
There’s also a new gearbox with a wet multiplate clutch in place of the standard car’s torque converter.
This powerhouse of an engine requires extra quantities of air to cool it and much of the visual changes over the standard DBX are there to facilitate this.
The redesigned daylight running lights have been moved to allow for a larger front grille and to help reduce drag and improve aerodynamics there’s a new rear spoiler and double diffuser.
Massive 23in wheels have been fitted along with bigger brakes. The latter are carbon ceramic which, together with clever engineering of the wheels, has resulted in a reduction of 40kg in unsprung weight.
The DBX707 does 0-60mph in 3.1seconds, which for a 2,245kg 4x4 is simply amazing. The acceleration is relentless.
This level of instant thrust makes overtaking much less stressful too. During our test drive I despatched a line of three cars effortlessly and safely as the Aston surged forward on a rush of torque.
The engine starts in quiet mode just in case your neighbours are still sleeping. But if you want to be annoying you simply pull back one of the gearchange paddles as you press the start button and the V8 will bellow with suitable ferocity.
Like the standard DBX, the 707 is very civilised to drive. While no 2.2 ton SUV is going to handle like a sports car, the DBX steers, handles and has a better level of ride comfort than any of its rivals. The active suspension, stability control and other systems have been tuned specifically to give this higher performance version of the DBX sporty responses without sacrificing comfort.
There are several driving modes with GT being the default. That works for most scenarios but if you really want to access the 707’s performance then a blast in Sport+ is worth experiencing, yet even in this full-on mode the car is still comfortable and relaxing.
Most of the DBX707’s interior is exactly the same as its straight sibling apart from a pair of fabulously supportive sports seats. You also get acres of leather, plenty of space and a pleasantly airy cabin with good views out.
But there is a downside: the 707 shares with the DBX a very antiquated infotainment system that is nothing like as sophisticated in function as that fitted to a £15,000 Dacia. I’m not a fan of the buttons that are used to select Park, Drive, Neutral and Reverse, either. They’re lifted from the Mercedes parts bin (like many other controls) and stuck on the top of the dashboard in a rather inconvenient place.
The standard DBX costs £162,525 and the DBX707 £190,000. Considering that the 707’s carbon ceramic brakes would be a £10k option on most cars, and the enormous increase in power, the extra money required to purchase a DBX707 is not unreasonable.
In fact, I would have thought that most customers will choose the newcomer over the standard version.
After all, if you’re wealthy enough to buy a car like this, and keep it in petrol, the extra £28k is probably of no consequence.
Aston Martin DBX707 SUV
Price: £190,000
Engine: 4.0-litre eight-cylinder petrol, 697bhp
0-60mph: 3.1 seconds
Fuel consumption: 19.9mpg
Co2: 323g/km
