Words and photos by Atif Kazmi for Por Homme
Scotland’s Edinburgh is bursting at the seams with culture, design and most notably, heritage. There’s something to be said about a city that can withstand the test of time without compromising on its rich history. Conservation is important and even for a first-time visitor like myself, it had a charm of its own. It was the perfect backdrop for the launch of Aston Martin’s latest iteration of the DBX707, a high-performance SUV that’s making a very similar mark of its own while embodying all that we’ve come to love from the British automaker.
There are SUVs and then there are super SUVs. And as you work up the ladder to afford the latter, standards tend to rise quickly. Meaning anytime you’re paying north of $250,000 for anything, certain details just can’t be overlooked. But because Aston Martin has always been about the driving experience, customers and fans have forgiven the iconic brand for its outdated infotainment and tech stack.
Patience had certainly started to pay off last year when we got a glimpse of the brand’s future cabin experience through the new Aston Martin DB12. New in-house tech fueled the center stack and in turn, heightened the overall cabin’s look and feel. Every touch, every detail felt more refined.
Now, Aston Martin’s brought the same underpinnings into the DBX707 while dropping the base DBX altogether. In doing so, Aston’s increased brand value but making the brand’s lone SUV that much more difficult to attain. We spent quite a bit of time in the new DBX707, from driving it through the streets of Edinburgh to hitting an off-road track just outside of Gleneagles.
Interior Overhaul and Technology Integration
The 707’s greatest changes can be seen throughout the interior with Aston Martin crafting a new cabin architecture specifically for the DBX707. It’s wrapped in a striking cockpit environment includes the implementation of Aston Martin’s all-new, in-house infotainment system. It includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, has multiple USB-C connections (including two charge ports for your phone), offers full online connectivity and is controlled by Aston’s Pure Black touchscreen technology. This dual-screen setup comprises of a 12.3-inch driver’s instrument cluster and an adjacent 10.25-inch central infotainment display that still mixes digital sophistication with good old-fashioned tactical controls for the important stuff, like temperature and fan speed – meaning you’re not repeatedly stabbing at icons while driving if you just want to turn the music down a notch.
Aston Martin wanted to bring a more spacious and luxurious feel into the cabin and they delivered. Cleaner contemporary lines are evident through the use of new veneers such as gloss smoked oak, carbon fiber and even a titanium mesh bearing. Updated door release handles and even a redesigned steering wheel help keep all touch points as refined as possible. True to form, the interior is available in three distinct trim specifications — Inspire Comfort, Inspire Sport, and Accelerate. Each pulls on different strings to deliver exactly what the customer might value the most. And if that’s not enough, there’s a near-infinite amount of personalization that can be done through Aston Martin’s bespoke service, Q by Aston Martin.
For audiophiles, the DBX707 is further equipped with an 800w, 14-speaker Aston Martin Premium Audio system featuring speakers positioned throughout the spacious cabin for a full-bodied sound. An optional 23-speaker,16-channel, 1,600W Bowers & Wilkins audio system provides the ultimate in audio performance.
DBX707’s Driving Dynamics
The Aston Martin DBX707 is first and foremost a high-performance, luxury SUV clearly aimed at delivering the most rewarding experience on smooth tarmac via its potent 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine and advanced all-wheel-drive system.
Though not much as changed in terms of the 707’s power output, it was never a slouch to begin with. With 697bhp and a 0 to 60 time of just 3.1 seconds, the DBX707 can climb to 193mph with ease. This time around, Aston’s ditched the torque converter gearbox for a wet clutch gearbox giving it faster shift times and the ability to give it a gut-wrenching launch mode.
The dynamics of the DBX707 have been honed by Aston Martin engineers through revised calibration for the electronic dampers and air springs to improve transient body control, response, and precision. On the road, this translates to an even more impressive sports car feel that’s got range.
Couple that driveline performance with refined chassis performance and you’ve got a super SUV that can do it all. For drivers, that means instant response and a shortened wheelbase effect from the active roll control.
The focus here is still on ensuring a sportier and more luxurious drive, as most of our time on the road was spent testing just how dynamically capable it is, whether that’s comfortably driving over highways or around town. Needless to say, the road to Gleneagles wasn’t a straight one and we didn’t complain one bit.
DBX707’s Off-Road Capabilities
I can’t remember the last time we heard “Aston Martin” and “off roading” in the same conversation but here we are. Because we know just how good the DBX707 has done on road since its inception, the fine folks in Warwickshire opted for an off-road track this time around in place of the typical race circuit. Truth is that much like Land Rover and G-Wagon owners, these beautifully refined SUVs see more of Beverly Hills than any bit of rugged terrain.
In speaking with Andy Tokley, Chief Engineer for the DBX, we were reassured the DBX707 can tackle whatever you throw its way.
“Like we like to do with the engineering of the whole car, I think the performance capability of this car is beyond where we would see 99 percent of customers use it and explore it. But it’s always nice to have the reassurance that you can do some quite severe off-roading or see a race track and then everything in between is managed with ease.”
Seeing it in this landscape does open up the thought that, sure you might not plan to go off-roading in a DBX707 but maybe towing an Airstream or propping up for a picnic somewhere don’t seem so far outside the realm of possibilities now.
From challenging the off road to pulling your horse trailer to an equestrian event, the Aston Martin DBX707 is ready. For Andy and team, that’s all within the scope of what Aston tests as it tries to make a prime candidate for any and every lifestyle.
Pricing and Availability
The 2025 Aston Martin DBX707 is offered with five new paint colors and two new wheel finishes. Though official pricing has yet to be released, production of the newest DBX707 is underway with first customer deliveries set to take place in the weeks ahead.
