Getting muddy in the 2025 Aston Martin DBX707

Sliding through the mud on the off-road driving course outside the Gleneagles resort in Dunblane, Scotland, the 2025 Aston Martin DBX707 used just the right amount of its 697 hp and 664 lb.-ft. of torque thanks to the computer-controlled four-wheel drive to confidently traverse hilly fields and slippery stream crossings.

Aston’s SUV is probably best known for its impressive on-road performance and handling, but we took to the hills to experience its acumen for getting passengers to messier locations. Switching to off-road driving mode slows the DBX’s response to the right pedal, making it easier for the driver to maintain steady throttle control as the vehicle drives through its four Pirelli Scorpion Zero 23-inch low-profile tires the mess with improbable clutter turns. grip for such snappy looking rubber.

The name Aston Martin typically brings to mind the 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 exclusive luxury. That’s why the company has diversified into real estate, with Aston Martin Residences, luxury condos in Miami. Aston’s chief designer, Marek Reichman, participated in the 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 segment with the DBX is a departure from its sports cars, it stays closer to home than apartments, and falls firmly within the luxury realm. Remember, these customers are the ones who will likely want to tow a horse trailer, which the DBX can do thanks to its onboard tow bar. Or that they’ll likely have to drive through muddy paddocks to attend horse events using the DBX’s available Event Seating package, which includes a rear-facing seat that stows in the cargo area for comfortable tailgate seating.

These are the kind of customers who cross similar muddy fields for a bird hunt with their exclusive Boss & Co. shotguns and who want to make these excursions Aston Martin style. The DBX707 delivers on all counts and feels right at home on Range Rover’s turf, with fellow newcomers 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 updated edition, the $249,000 twin-turbocharged DBX707 is now the only version available, befitting its position against the rarefied rivals mentioned above. The DBX, Aston emphasizes, is the only machine in this class that does not share its underpinnings with other models.

In this updated version, that base includes a new nine-speed transmission that uses a computer-controlled wet clutch pack in place of the previous torque converter. This contributes to the new model’s 0 to 100 km/h acceleration of 3.1 seconds, according to chief engineer Andy Tokley. “The real big improvement for us was the wet clutch which helped the car’s acceleration performance,” he says. “Unlike a torque converter, with a wet clutch you can keep it fully open, keep the revs high to build inertia and also build torque and boost. When you close that wet clutch, you get a very, very dramatic pull away in the car.”

Importantly, when driving at low speed – through car parks of wet Scottish fields – the computer controlled the clutch perfectly, without any wobble or other annoyances that sometimes occur when there is no hydraulic torque converter providing the connection between the engine and transmission. .

Tokley’s engineering team have also retuned the DBX’s already excellent suspension, further improving ride and handling on and off-road. The air suspension system chooses from four different spring rates, depending on the conditions and the driving mode the driver chooses.

The computer-controlled dampers are individually adjustable for both compression and rebound control, for optimal response to road conditions. At the same time, an active roll control system keeps the DBX flat as it corners on the tarmac, while also releasing the individual wheels to allow greater off-road articulation to follow the terrain.

Within the DBX

The DBX also benefits from a refreshed interior, with an all-new internal infotainment system replacing Mercedes’ previous outdated system. Aston has switched to a toggle switch on the center console instead of the previously used push buttons on the dashboard. Push buttons have a high cool factor, but require the driver’s attention to locate and press them in a way that the toggle switch does not, so this is a big improvement.

The display for the infotainment is a Pure Black panel that provides beautiful graphics. But the real beauty of the Supernova Red DBX707’s cabin is the fully colored upholstery, which is deep red, with beautiful colors on every surface. This contrasts with the common practice of offering interior colors applied only to the seats or perhaps the dashboard, while everything else remains a somber black.

Not so in the DBX. There is red carpet, red headliner, red dashboard and red door panels. This is partly because the company uses leather to finish the cabins, reports Alex Long, Aston’s director of product and market strategy. “There is no plastic or replacement leather in the car,” he says. “Even the parcel shelf, the C-pillar trim and right through the cabin are all 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 went into the DBX707’s drivetrain and suspension. That’s why this British luxury brand is credibly entering new segments beyond its sports car roots.