2022 Aston Martin DBX new car review

The latest super SUV to hit Australian roads is the most powerful luxury high-rider in the world and it comes from a brand you might not expect.

David McCowen

3 min read

November 18, 2022 - 10:17AM

Luxury

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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 twin-turbocharged 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.

2022 Aston Martin DBX 707

The big SUV rears up on its haunches and squeezes your chest under full throttle acceleration, making the most of all-wheel-drive 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.

2022 Aston Martin DBX 707

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.

2022 Aston Martin DBX 707

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.

2022 Aston Martin DBX 707

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.

2022 Aston Martin DBX 707

FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

The DBX 707 is a sharper, faster version of the regular DBX luxury SUV. It benefits from lessons learned on duty in the Formula 1 world championship, where Aston Martin fields medical and safety cars. Australian race driver Karl Reindler drives the DBX flat-out behind the field on the opening lap, carrying expert medico Dr Ian Roberts and lifesaving equipment. Reindler raced to the scene of a serious smash at the British Grand Prix this year, using the Aston’s thrust to get to the upside-down Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu as soon as possible. Expect Aston to upgrade to the 707 on the Grand Prix scene next year, further reducing response times.