ASTON MARTIN DBX
Generations Timeline, Specs and Pictures
After cutting a deal with Mercedes-AMG, the British brand Aston Martin managed to revive its lineup and created the most powerful SUV from the market in 2022: the DBX707.
Sure, the traditional supplier for the James Bond movie franchise was mostly known for its GT vehicles and sports cars and less for SUVs. Yet, since these vehicles were in high demand, Aston Martin introduced the DBX in 2020. Then, two years later, it brought the DBX707 version, which was the most powerful SUV on the market.
When compared with its less-powerful sibling, the regular DBX, the 2022 upgraded version features some exterior differences. At the front, it features a bigger grille than its stablemate and a different bumper design with a wider lip for an improved aerodynamic load on the front axle. Aston Martin installed standard 22” alloys with a 23” set as an option. The side sills were also redesigned to reduce the ground effect on the vehicle while moving at high speeds. But the most evident changes are on the back, where the carmaker installed a wider roof spoiler enhanced by a carbon fiber lip. The bumper is offered with a wider lip available in carbon fiber trim. If all of these might get unnoticed, then the four pipes poking through the bumper were not.
Inside, the most important upgrade was for the sport bucket seats with the Aston Martin logo embroidered on the headrests. But unfortunately, it featured a two-generation old infotainment system carried over from Mercedes-Benz.
On the tech side, apart from the 707 hp V8 under the hood, the car got standard carbon-ceramic brakes with larger rotors than its sibling. Also, the 9-speed automatic gearbox was similar to the one found in the AMG GT, with a wet-disc clutch system instead of a torque converter as the regular DBX.
Despite going through a less fortunate period from a financial perspective, Aston Martin couldn’t stay away from the increasingly lucrative SUV market and has jumped on the high-riding bandwagon with the DBX.
The first SUV and the first all-wheel-drive vehicle in the company’s 106-year history, the DBX also represents the third and final phase of a multi-model expansion plan that should put Aston on the right path in the future.
With a development that first started virtually back in 2015 and then continued with real-world prototypes in 2018, the Aston Martin DBX had a rather extensive gestation period. Unlike older Astons, the SUV is filled to the brim with modern technology, with the entire powertrain, transmission and even the infotainment system being borrowed from Mercedes-Benz. The twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 sitting under that long hood is straight from Mercedes-AMG and delivers a healthy 550 horsepower and 700 Nm of torque, sent though a 9-speed automatic transmission of Mercedes origin to all four wheels. The all-wheel-drive system uses an active center differential and an electronically controlled rear limited slip differential. Another premiere for car with an Aston Martin badge is the full-size five-seat interior, with the DBX being apparently created to accommodate the world’s 99th percentile male and 5th percentile female in its comfy, leather-lined seats.