Aston Martin saw sales increase by 82% in 2021, despite the industry having a tough time due to supply issues. The reason: the DBX SUV. It alone accounts for nearly 50% of the brand’s sales, which was once recognized exclusively for its coupes and sedans with their timeless designs.
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This changing of the guard is a big part of why the automaker recently unveiled an extremely capable version of this creation to target the big, high-performance luxury SUV players.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ASTON MARTIN
The DBX707 indicates metric horsepower in its name, or 697 hp in the measurement commonly used in North America.
It’s called DBX707 and it targets nothing less than the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT in this arguably absurd war of high-pitched acceleration. The DBX707 indicates metric horsepower in its name, or 697 hp in the measurement commonly used in North America. The power is produced by a known block, the original Mercedes-Benz 4.0L twin-turbo V8 from the standard livery, but reworked. Aston Martin only specifies that its mapping has been revised and that its turbochargers benefit from ball bearings to reduce their rotation time.
To channel this power, the manufacturer is also making the transition to a nine-speed transmission which is a sort of hybrid between a dual-clutch gearbox and a classic automatic transmission with a set of lubricated clutches. The 664 lb-ft of torque are transmitted to all four wheels through an all-wheel drive system that can send up to 100% of the torque to the rear wheels. It is therefore on a rather sporty behavior that the engineers emphasize by means of an air suspension with the adjustment adapted to this mission.
This package ensures a 0-100 km/h in 3.3 s, a time theoretically identical to that of the Cayenne GT Turbo which also uses a 4L V8 biturbo. That said, it’s more than half a second slower than the Tesla Model X Plaid’s time. Aston Martin is thus aiming for heat engine competition.
An electric turn that is long overdue
The Quebecer Lawrence Stroll, big boss of the British brand, has also meant, in an interview at the FinancialTimes, its intention to abandon gasoline-only engines from 2026. Aston Martin had declared in 2021 that it also wanted to launch its first electric model during the same year.
“People still want the smell and the sound [des moteurs à combustion]. We are gradually moving towards an all-electric range, but we will continue to offer both [l’électrique et l’hybride] Stroll said during this interview.
It is therefore difficult to know how the brand will orchestrate the shift, which seems to want to keep piston engines alive until government regulations become too restrictive.