2024 Aston Martin DBX707 Review: The Fast, Furious, Forever Car

There’s a problem with crossovers that even some luxury models can’t surmount. Their jack-of-all-trades compromise tends to gut them of any clear purpose. But they’re popular and profitable enough that even esteemed automakers like Aston Martin can’t overlook them as cash cows; status symbols for the undiscerning. The 2024 Aston Martin DBX707 didn’t have to be exceptional to turn a buck. And yet, Aston Martin made it that way anyway.

The DBX707 is simply a superb luxury SUV made better by a darling of a V8 and everything needed to balance it. There are few vehicles on the planet as pleasurable for boiling away miles as fast as you dare, whether you’re in the driver’s seat or a passenger. It’s the kind of car that you can earnestly see yourself living with for decades, to the point where people start to call it a classic. I think they will one day, despite its foibles.

There are predictable small-production problems, like instances of poor design, lapses in body build quality, and some aspects of the driving experience that aren’t especially well-calibrated. I don’t think the DBX looks especially good from most angles, either. But from behind the wheel, I don’t give a damn and neither would you, because there are no intrusive thoughts that 697 horsepower can’t banish.

The Basics

Aston Martin’s first crossover, the midsize five-seat DBX, has already proven itself a remarkable tourer, so let’s instead hone in on that 707. It signifies the 707 ps (or 697 hp) of its retuned 4.0-liter AMG V8, now with more responsive ball-bearing twin turbochargers that add 155 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque, for a total of 663 lb-ft. Both travel through a new wet clutch (instead of the regular DBX’s torque converter) to a nine-speed automatic transmission with a shortened final drive for quicker acceleration and an E-LSD rear axle that can take 100% of the torque. Together, they drag the 0-to-62-mph time down from 4.5 to 3.3 seconds and elevate the top speed from 181 mph to 193.

Naturally, Aston upgrades the rest of the chassis to match, starting with enormous carbon-ceramic brakes. An altered booster and hydraulics squeeze the six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear on 16.5-inch and 15.4-inch rotors, respectively, to generate all the stopping power you want, not to mention delete 89 pounds of unsprung weight. Retuned air suspension—double-wishbone front, multilink rear—with active damping and electronic roll control sharpen the driving experience, along with adjusted steering for better feel.

The 707 distinguishes itself stylistically with a bigger grille, different splitter, black trim, double diffusers, quad exhaust tips, and a roof spoiler. Pictures don’t do justice to how well Aston’s mustache-shaped grille and ovular headlights adapt to the SUV shape, the 707 wears its Callum–Fisker face honorably. Better than some prior Astons, I daresay.

Its side profile and rear are less triumphant, suffering from the same fat-bottomed sedan shape that many fastback SUVs do. The ducktail protruding from the rear combined with the roof spoiler look a little goofy together, especially with the sad-browed taillights. That goes without mentioning the incongruent panel gaps with the hatch, or the condensation forming in the taillight. Oh well. You don’t have to look at it from this angle.

Instead, your view from the cockpit will be of its altered center console, with push-button shifting. The Mercedes-sourced infotainment is dated, with a haptic laptop-style touchpad controlling the non-touchscreen, but I came around on it. It’s an easier interface to use while driving than a touchscreen, even with its unintuitive menu setup. (There’s even a button to turn off the screen!) The cupholders are too small for a phone, leaving you without a good place to put it if you’re charging from the center console bin’s USB ports. Snaking your cord down to the under-console storage space isn’t ideal, as there’s no cutout in the console bin lid for a cord—it’ll crimp it. Also, piano black? Come on.

Phone-related criticisms aside: This is the best damn interior I’ve ever sat in. The abundant latte-colored leather is assembled to a terrific standard of craftsmanship, and I expect it’ll age handsomely. Colored seatbelts (red here) are always a special touch, as are its embroidered headrests. Even the sun visors are luxe, with more of that leather and an aluminum-framed, side-lit mirror. There’s even a nested second flap for holding your insurance and registration cards separately. The redundancy feels oddly extravagant.

Because it’s big for a five-seater, there’s loads of cabin space even with the front seats pushed back. The door pockets are deep, and the space beneath the center console is roomy, if oddly shaped and not the most convenient. Most of the switchgear is physical but HVAC controls beneath the screen are touch-sensitive—at least they’re sensibly placed.

But what struck me most after days with the DBX is how its user experience benefits from not being rooted in the latest and greatest tech. Cars that rely on being the shiniest new thing become obsolete in a heartbeat; the DBX sidesteps that paradigm by not engaging with it. There’s a rare sense of timelessness to its interior that modern cars almost never achieve, the feeling that this SUV will be just as livable in 20 years if its mechanicals hold up. That may be just as true for the driving experience, too.

Driving the Aston Martin DBX707

The 707 may be built with more wringing-out in mind than a regular DBX, but both will still spend most of their lives cruising. You’d expect 23-inch wheels and performance-tuned suspension to compromise ride quality, but it was no less than top-notch. The damping was spot-on, complementing a superb seat with flawless spinal support and balanced bolstering. Admittedly, visibility leaves something to be desired, with a tiny rear window and rounded corners that make gauging its dimensions difficult. I pretty much always parked a foot from the curb, even with the aid of the 360-degree camera.

Meanwhile, the near-total defeat of wind noise leaves the cabin so quiet that two things happen invariably. First, you notice just how exceptional the stereo is: It’s the best audio quality I’ve ever heard in a car. Secondly, its high driving position (like being on top of Aston Mountain), poised handling, and invisible undercurrent of torque can sweep you away. Highway speeds feel like a neighborhood cruise, you feel the impulse to leave the surrounding cars behind. With a stamp of the throttle, you do.

I’ve driven a few cars with the AMG 4.0-liter, and the version in the 707 is my favorite. Its guttural exhaust note and full-range torque from hot-V turbos are a pleasure in any car, but the 707’s greater peak power lends higher revs more allure. It’s an engine you cherish revving out, especially when opening the exhaust baffles. It gives the 707 a more raucous character than its looks let on, and an alluringly brash bad-boy one at that. I’m sure I’d find it annoying if I weren’t in the driver’s seat, but I was.

The transmission, meanwhile, is less of a positive. Clutch engagement was a little aggressive in all driving modes, so you have to be gentle rolling away from stops. Sometimes it wouldn’t switch from drive to reverse when instructed, instead dropping into neutral. Shifting in manual mode, while not too jerky, also wasn’t as quick as I’d hoped, and a single bounce off the rev limiter threw a check engine light and triggered a limp mode. (It went away shortly.)

Cornering on the other hand is sharper, with significant body roll but encouraging steering weight. It’s a little deceptive though, as your behind will alert you to understeer before your hands do. Front-end lift that develops at high speeds limits its pace as well—fortunately, the monstrous carbon brakes respond well without warmup. No matter, neither detract from what the DBX707 is best at: Devouring highway miles at great speed in even greater comfort.

The Highs and Lows

The DBX707 stakes its case as a terrific ultra-luxury SUV that also happens to be fun to drive like a bastard. It’s a car I’d be thankful to live with and live with and for a long time at that. Against the odds, it has the makings of a future classic.

That said, it has weak points that some people might decide are dealbreakers at the 707’s price point. It has the rough edges of a small-volume manufacturer, like that center console and the subpar exterior build quality. Also, the mere idea of an off-road mode in an SUV with 23-inch wheels makes me shake my head.

Aston Martin DBX707 Features, Options, Competition

The Aston Martin DBX707 differs significantly from the base model, with a unique center console and altered personalization options. That console adds buttons to change every aspect of the driving experience, from exhaust to damping settings. Its 16-way electronically adjusted sport front seats are standard, with comfort seats being a no-cost option. Both fronts and rears are heated, too. You get four-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, and a competent tech suite. There’s full exterior LED lighting, an array of automated driving assists, four USB-A ports, and wireless Apple CarPlay—no Android Auto, though. (And yes, it does have AM radio.)

For options, DBX707 buyers can choose from a variety of interior configurations balancing leather and Alcantara. Seat ventilation is available front and rear, as well as a broad range of customization items. You can get bright or dark chrome switchgear, or trade piano black for carbon fiber of bronze mesh. There are more wheel options than planets in our solar system, and more paint colors than stars in the sky. A tow bar rounds off the major items, though you can go the full nine yards and commission a Q by Aston Martin car, where the options go as deep as your wallet.

By moving up a performance tier, the 707 leaves behind the now W12-less Bentley Bentayga, leaving only the Lamborghini Urus Performante to compete. They’re both five-seaters with 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8s and all-wheel drive, and they perform almost identically in a straight line. The Aston’s 3 mph faster, but the Lamborghini is lighter and has a slightly narrower turning circle owing to four-wheel steering. Despite having markedly worse weight distribution, the Lamborghini owns the SUV course record at Pikes Peak—for now.

Still, its gas mileage falls a little short, and it’s much more attention-seeking than the comparatively mature Aston. That said, if you have an Android phone, the Urus is the only one to offer Android Auto.

Fuel Economy

Nobody expects decent fuel efficiency from a nearly 700-hp luxury SUV, but the DBX707 does better than you’d expect. At 17 mpg combined, it’s actually the thriftiest of its competitors despite being the most powerful. I think I got close to that, even while enjoying its 693 hp at every opportunity.

Value & Verdict

The 2024 Aston Martin DBX707 is a marvelous luxury SUV that also plants a little devil on your shoulder. It’s as civil and as comfortable as cars get in daily life, and a striding, snarling brute the second the open road yields. I have my quibbles, but they add up to less than the sum of their parts. The DBX707 isn’t just a one-car solution, it’s an honest-to-god forever car. There’s too much to be said for its combination of supreme comfort and scandalous speed, and you’ll feel like driving it every day for as long as there’s gas to fuel it.

Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com

 

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