Taking a spin in wet Scottish fields. Image: Popular Science
Slithering through the muck at the off-road driving course for the Gleneagles resort in Dunblane, Scotland, the 2025 Aston Martin DBX707 applied just the right amount of its 697 horsepower and 664 lb.-ft. of torque through its computer-controlled all-wheel drive system to confidently traverse the hilly fields and slippery stream crossings.
Aston’s SUV is probably best known for its impressive on-road performance and handling, but we headed into the hills to experience its acumen for delivering passengers to messier locales. Switching to the off-road drive mode, the DBX’s response to the right pedal slows, making it easier for the driver to keep a steady throttle while the vehicle churns its four Pirelli Scorpion Zero low-profile 23-inch tires through the mess with improbable grip for such racy looking rubber.
Aston Martin’s name typically evokes its glorious sports cars with their Le Mans-winning heritage and an uncanny ability to get fictional British spies out of tight situations. But, the brand’s overriding theme is one of exclusive luxury. That’s why the company has diversified into real estate, with Aston Martin Residences, luxury condominiums in Miami. Aston’s head designer, Marek Reichman, participated in their design and their amenities include butler services and access to luxury boat rentals, VIP events, and beach experiences.
So while the company’s move into the SUV space with the DBX is a departure from its sports cars, it is keeping closer to home than condos, and is solidly within the luxury realm. Consider that these customers are the ones who are likely to want to tow a horse trailer, which the DBX can do thanks to its available hitch. Or that they are likely to need to churn through muddy pastures to spectate at equestrian events using the DBX’s available Event Seating package of a sliding rear-facing seat that stores in the cargo area for comfortable tailgate seating.
These are the kinds of customers who might traverse similarly muddy fields for some bird hunting with their exclusive Boss & Co. shotguns and who want to make these excursions in Aston Martin style. The DBX707 delivers on all counts, making itself right at home on Range Rover’s turf, with fellow new arrivals, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga.
Transfer of power
When the DBX debuted in 2019, it was with the original base version, which was powered by a 542-hp V8. The company later introduced the DBX707, and with this refreshed edition, the twin-turbocharged $249,000 DBX707 is now the only version available, befitting its position against the rarefied rivals mentioned above. The DBX, Aston points out, is the only machine in this class that doesn’t share its underpinnings with any other models.
Under the hood. Image: Andy Morgan
In this refreshed version, those underpinnings include a new 9-speed transmission that uses a computer-controlled wet clutch pack in place of the previous torque converter. This contributes to the new model’s 3.1-second 0-60 mph acceleration, according to chief engineer Andy Tokley. “The real big improvement for us was the wet clutch aiding the acceleration performance of the car,” he says. “In a wet clutch, unlike in a torque converter, you’re able to hold it fully open, hold the RPM up to build inertia and also start to build torque and boost. When you close that wet clutch, it gives you a very, very dramatic pull-away in the car.”
Importantly, during low-speed driving–through parking lots of wet Scottish fields–the computer’s control of that clutch was perfect, with no lurching or other annoyances that sometimes arise when there is no hydraulic torque converter providing the connection between the engine and the transmission.
Tokley’s engineering team also re-tuned the DBX’s already-excellent suspension, providing even better on-road and off-road ride and handling. The air suspension system selects from four different spring rates, depending on the conditions and the drive mode the driver chooses.
The computer-controlled dampers are separately adjustable for both compression and rebound control for optimum response to road conditions. At the same time, an active roll control system both holds the DBX flat while carving curves on tarmac while also releasing the individual wheels to permit more off-road articulation to follow the terrain.
Inside the DBX
The DBX also benefits from a refreshed interior, with an all-new in-house infotainment system replacing the previous obsolete Mercedes-sourced system. Aston has changed to a toggle shifter on the center console in place of the dash-mounted push-buttons used previously. Push-buttons have a high cool factor, but they require the driver’s attention to locate and press them in a way that the toggle shifter does not, so this is a major improvement.
The DBX707’s interior is a beauty. Image: Andy Morgan
The display for the infotainment is a Pure Black panel that provides beautiful graphics. But the real beauty in the Supernova Red DBX707’s cabin is the comprehensively colored upholstery is deeply red, with glorious color on every surface. This is in contrast to the common practice of offering interior colors that are only applied to the seats or maybe to the dash pad, while leaving everything else a dismal black.
Not so in the DBX. There is red carpet, red headliner, red dashboard and red door panels. This is in part because of the company’s use of leather to trim its cabins, reports Alex Long, Aston’s director of product and market strategy. “There are no plastics or replacement leather in the car,” he says. “Even the parcel shelf, the trimming on the C-pillar, and right through the cabin is all done in that really rich red color and can be matched to the seats and the dashboard and even the headliner in the car.”
This kind of thoroughness and authenticity is indicative of the same attention to detail that has gone into the DBX707’s powertrain and suspension. Which is why this British luxury brand is making credible inroads to new segments beyond its sports car roots.
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