FULL THROTTLE
World’s most powerful SUV has a soundtrack to match its awesome ability
It should come as no surprise that the world’s most powerful luxury SUV is a fast car. The monstrous V8 under the shapely bonnet of Aston Martin’s DBX 707 is twinturbocharged by Mercedes-amg to the tune of 520kw and 900Nm, enough to reach 100km/h in just 3.3 seconds.
As expected, it has a ferocious muscle car soundtrack similar to heavy hitters from its German technical partner.
The big SUV rears up on its haunches and squeezes your chest under full throttle acceleration, making the most of all-wheeldrive traction and enormous Pirelli rubber.
An Amg-sourced nine-speed transmission snaps through gear changes with a crack from quad tailpipes when you pluck its enormous carbon fibre shift paddles, the 4.0-litre V8 leaving you in no doubt it would breach the 300km/h threshold, given the chance.
This much is to be expected. A hugely powerful motor tends to deliver hugely impressive thrust.
But the big Aston keeps a few surprises up its impeccably tailored sleeves.
Gigantic carbon ceramic brake discs wash away speed just as effortlessly as the engine delivers it, pinning you against the seatbelt when go turns to whoa.
Better still, those brakes offer precise responses and easily controlled modulation that encourage you to push deeper into the apex of favourite bends.
Do so and the car’s air suspension, active anti-roll bars and clever four-wheel-drive system combine to offer a fine impression of a polished sports sedan.
This is a heavy car, one that should not be expected to handle like a two-seat convertible.
But it is immensely capable in the corners, employing the brute force of huge tyres and tarmac rippling torque to exert its will on the road surface.
Body roll is minimal and the meaty steering has few equals in the world of high-riding SUVS.
It’s genuinely fun to drive, helped by a sporty transmission that uses a wet clutch pack in place of a soft-edged torque converter to serve up snappy downshifts accompanied by a triumphant flare and crackle from the exhaust.
The DBX 707 wins full points on a Sunday morning blast but it’s a little less impressive in everyday running.
Huge 23-inch wheels with low-profile tyres thump hard over bumpy roads, where the taut suspension that delivers such impressive body control can feel a little harsh.
Though Aston got the best Benz can offer under the bonnet, its Mercedes-sourced infotainment system is a few years old. The display is not a touchscreen, which is particularly frustrating when using Apple Carplay.
Dated push-button transmission controls and a starter button placed high in the middle of the dashboard also require a pronounced reach at the start and end of every journey.
It’s not cheap at $428,400 plus on-road costs (about $500,000 drive-away), and that’s before you factor in the $100,000 or so in optional extras fitted to our Plasma Blue example.
But there’s no doubt the DBX is a special car to drive every day. It looks and sounds magnificent and the materials used throughout its decadent interior are a cut above more mainstream alternatives from the likes of Porsche or BMW.