If you’re a fan of Chris Harris, you probably know that he loves Porsche 911s and that he hates SUVs. So, when he was recently handed the keys to an Aston Martin DBX 707, he decided to give it a go, heading to the closest racetrack to see what this ultimate performance SUV is capable of.
Introduced earlier this year, the DBX 707 serves as the flagship in the DBX range and like the entry-level model, rocks an AMG-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. A series of upgrades have seen the power from this engine skyrocket to 697 hp and 663 lb-ft (900 Nm), representing huge gains of 155 hp and 147 lb-ft (200 Nm) over the standard model.
This beast of a powertrain results in a vehicle that Harris says feels just as quick as an Audi RS6. However, the journalist notes that the sound inside the cabin seems a little synthetic and that the engine note isn’t as musical as he had hoped. He also mentions that it is difficult to modulate the throttle when the DBX 707 is driven at normal speeds.
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What impresses Harris the most about the ultimate Aston Martin SUV is the chassis set-up. It handles extraordinarily well on the tight and twisty circuit used in the test and can even perform some impressive powerslides when encouraged to do so. Harris describes the chassis as “remarkable” and says that apart from the high driving position, there’s no indication that he is driving a big and heavy SUV.
Aston Martin made a series of chassis tweaks in developing the DBX 707. These include a new setup for the adaptive triple-chamber air suspension with revised damper valves and recalibrated springs. Adjustments were also made to the steering and electronic systems, transforming the SUV.