2023 Aston Martin DBX707 First Look Review: Eat This, Lambo Urus
Meet the 2023 Aston Martin DBX707, the world's fastest, most powerful gas-fed SUV. What you need to know up front is that when Tobias Moers left AMG to take the top job at Aston, he almost immediately set the company's sights on Lamborghini. Not, as you might expect, by announcing a new supercar. No, Moers instead figured Lamborghini's first ever SUV, the Urus, presented a juicier target.
Moers had liked what he'd seen of Aston's own SUV debutante, the DBX, during his due diligence prior to making the jump from AMG. The DBX's fundamentals were good, he thought—all it needed were some powertrain and suspension upgrades, plus a couple of other changes, and Lamborghini's snarling, extrovert Urus could be knocked from its perch as the world's fastest, most powerful SUV.
The suffix in "DBX707" refers to the number of European ponies under the shapely Aston's hood. In America, that's 697 hp, 56 more horses than the Urus musters. (Though shy of the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat's 707 hp, remember: That SUV was a one-and-done 2021 model that lacks a 2022-or-beyond followup. Also, we specify "gas-fed" because Tesla's Model X Plaid and Rivian's upcoming R1S pack much more hp.) And Aston Martin claims this DBX707 has a top speed of 193 mph, making it 4 mph faster than the Urus (and far faster than a Model X Plaid, which tops out at 163) at full throttle on an empty autobahn. Take that, Lamborghini.
With its 697 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, the 2023 Aston Martin DBX707 packs a significantly bigger punch than the regular DBX. The extra power and performance come courtesy of a revised spec of the M177 4.0-liter V-8 used in the exhilaratingly rapid Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door Coupé. The GT 63 S version of the engine, which has twin-scroll ball-bearing turbochargers for faster response, makes "only" 630 hp, but its torque output is identical.
The Aston Martin DBX707 engine drives through the same Speedshift MCT wet-clutch nine-speed automatic transmission used in high-power, high-torque Mercedes-AMG cars. The transmission includes a Sport+ mode with launch control and a full manual control mode. A new e-diff has been fitted to the rear axle to handle the high torque loads and deliver a quicker locking rate. The final drive ratio is shortened by 7 percent compared with the regular DBX to help get the DBX707 to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds.
Suspension upgrades include compression and rebound damping that is increased by 20 percent and 10 percent, respectively, on the front shocks, and 15 percent and 5 percent on the rears. The electronic active roll system is recalibrated to deliver 50 percent more torque on low body motions, and the roll control is now more rear-biased at higher cornering speeds to reduce understeer.
To ensure the stiffer suspension works effectively, the stiffness of the front shock top mounts is upped by 55 percent with the addition of a cross brace, and the front control arms are fitted with hydraulic bushings to improve ride comfort and bump isolation without compromising dynamic performance. A 0.16-inch-thick underbody panel improves torsional stiffness by 1.3 percent for better steering response and impact control.
As you'd expect in a 5,000-pound-plus SUV capable of 193 mph, the standard brake setup features carbon-ceramic rotors: 16.1-inch units clamped by six-piston calipers up front, 15.0-inch items at the rear. Standard wheels measure 22 inches and are shod with Pirelli P Zero tires. You can order all-season tires if you want, but that means the Aston Martin DBX707's stop speed is restricted to a mere 186 mph. Exclusive to the DBX707 is a new and optional 23-inch wheel, though you can't get all-season tires for it.
Grafting iconic sports car graphics onto a big two-box SUV is a challenge—just ask Lamborghini—but Aston Martin chief creative officer Marek Reichmann's team of designers has, by and large, succeeded in making the regular DBX look as glamorous as the rest of the Aston Martin family.
The new DBX707 adds muscle to the glamour. The roof spoiler is bigger. A new front fascia features a bolder grille, larger cooling intakes for the brakes, and a more aggressive front splitter. The rear fascia is new, too, with quarter-panel vents integrated into the bumper, and a large diffuser underneath flanked on either side by dual exhaust outlets. The sportier styling details don't compromise practicality, though: Front and rear departure angles remain the same as the standard DBX, and the 707 can be ordered in Europe with a retractable tow hitch.
Inside, the 2023 Aston Martin DBX707 can be had with either sport or comfort front seats, the former offered with a unique herringbone perforation pattern on the backrest and squab. A vertically mounted rotary controller is added to the center console to allow rapid selection of drive modes.
The 2023 Aston Martin DBX707 is expected to arrive in the U.S. in the middle of 2022, with prices starting from $235,086.
Looks good! More details?2023 Aston Martin DBX707 Specifications BASE PRICE $235,086 LAYOUT front-engine, AWD, 4-door, 5-passenger, SUV ENGINE 4.0L/697-hp/664-lb-ft twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 32-valve V-8 TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT 5,000 lb WHEELBASE 120.5 in L x W x H 198.4 x 78.7 x 66.1 in 0-60 MPH 3.4 sec (MT est) EPA FUEL ECON (CITY/HWY/COMB) 14/20/16 mpg (est) EPA RANGE (COMB) 360 miles (est) ON SALE Summer 2020 Show AllYou may also like
land-rover defender Full OverviewI don't know what it is about adulthood, but I've noticed that the older I get, the more weekends become a time for chores and projects and less about actually resting and recuperating for the upcoming week. It, to be frank, sucks. But every once in a while, the calendar is miraculously free and clear, and vehicles like MotorTrend's long-term 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 really help me make the most of those rare days. Faced with a free Saturday a few weeks back, my wife and I decided to load the pups up in the Defender and make a beach day out of it.Located smack dab in the middle of the Central California coast about 200 miles north of Los Angeles, Oceano Dunes is one of the few beaches in the state you can drive on without being in law enforcement or the military. Rex, our 8-year-old beagle dachshund mix, is a regular road warrior, but this four-hour stint would be the longest drive Rosie, our 11-month-old German shepherd mutt, had had since we scooped her up from a rescue in San Diego. All of four months old at the time and still traumatized from her stint living in a dumpster on the other side of the border, Rosie's first ride with us was marked by her utter refusal to get into the car in the first place and her attempt to bail out on the way back to Los Angeles near the Orange County line.Despite that rocky start, Rosie quickly made herself at home in the back of the Land Rover. With a massive greenhouse and spacious back seat, she spent the first hour of the trip window surfing before settling into a nap, while all 25 pounds of Rex made himself comfortable sleeping on top of the Defender's jump seat. Up front, my wife and I cranked up the stereo and took advantage of the now-wireless Apple CarPlay capability; the Defender's cabin, already noisy due to the gear carrier and expedition roof rack, had only gotten louder since we fit the roof ladder and onboard air compressor. Looking cool has its costs.We arrived at the beach just past sunrise and slotted ourselves into the long line of pickups, Jeeps, Subarus, and the odd minivan or two. Thinking back to when I beached a Rivian R1T at the tail end of our Trans-America Trail expedition a year back, I made sure to ask about the conditions out on the beach. "You'll be fine," the park ranger said while looking over our Defender's snorkel and all-terrains. "Not so sure about them, though," as she gestured toward the Toyota Sienna in line behind me.Reassured, I pulled past the gate into the parking lot to air the Defender's tires down while my wife attempted to keep the increasingly impatient pups focused on treats instead of the exciting ocean smell, distant crashing waves, and legions of beachgoers in 4x4s around us. I normally avoid airing down unless it's absolutely necessary (I'm lazy; sue me), but the Land Rover's relatively high 47/50 psi front/rear recommended air pressure coupled with how easy the Defender's new onboard air compressor is to operate was motivation enough. I quickly connected the air compressor to each wheel, twisted the dial to drop the pressure to 35 psi, and let it painlessly deflate each tire. After quick confirmation of dropped pressures on the digital dash, we lowered the rear windows to allow the dogs to take their waist gunner positions and hit the sand.One of the things I love most about driving the Defender is how seamlessly the "Auto" Terrain Response 2 mode and full-time four-wheel-drive system transitions between different surfaces, and that proved to be the case here on the beach. The sand at Oceano Dunes varies greatly—it's soft, silty, and almost desertlike up near the dunes, gets harder, firmer, and rutted toward the middle of the beach, and it's soft and wet (duh) down by the waterline. No matter where we were on the beach as we explored looking for a good spot, the Defender was faultless. In the few soft sections where the Land Rover started to sink, all it needed was a little extra throttle while four-wheel drive and terrain response sorted things out. It's quite literally off-roading for dummies.After exploring for a bit and putting the Defender through its paces, we finally found a secluded spot and made it our base camp for the day. Rosie had never been to the beach before, and she initially looked unsure of the sand between her toes and the loud ocean waves. But after watching Rex howl into the wind, dig after sand crabs, and chase the receding waves, she quickly got the hang of the beach, running up and down the dunes, helping dig, and splashing after seagulls in the ocean. Meanwhile, my wife and I made ourselves at home picnicking out of the Defender's cargo area and reading on the front bench.After a few hours hanging out and playing with the pups, we made our way back to the park entrance, aired up, and pointed the Defender's nose back south toward home. While Sunday would no doubt be filled with all the responsibilities we shirked, we were thankful for that one brief respite—all made possible by our Defender's baked in capability.Looks good! More details?For more on our Land Rover Defender:Our 2021 SUV of the Year joins us for a yearlong testBetter than any pickup truckSo, about that break-in period…A rooftop tent just looks so right on the Defender 110Accessorizing our Land Rover Defender
Stellantis, the new brand formed after the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, is on the verge of transforming itself into a technology and mobility company. And the message is coming through loud and clear. Carlos Tavares, CEO of the company, opened his 2022 CES press conference by saying, "We are reimagining the future of mobility for generations to come as we quickly shift to a tech company, providing our customers with safe, sustainable and affordable mobility solutions."While the transformation will take years, the company has already started outlining its plan. Stellantis' global chief technology officer, Ned Curic, told MotorTrend in an interview the work starts by simplifying. Currently, the big automaker has many different platforms it supports, and focusing on a couple will help lead this new transformation."If you look at traditional tech companies, or new technology companies, they don't have many platforms—maybe one, two, or three—but then there's software to differentiate," he said. "What we have to do is to simplify our technology dramatically."Simplifying the hardware and using the software to differentiate its components will be the starting point in the transformation. Along with creating an immersive cabin experience, Stellantis plans to gain customer satisfaction as it starts to roll out the new technology.Partnering with the right people to help a transformation is key in any industry, but particularly in the automotive sector. Stellantis announced a partnership with tech giant Amazon to use its software to bring over the air updates and use Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its cloud-based technology in Stellantis' future vehicles. Curic, who was vice president of Alexa Automotive at Amazon before moving to Stellantis, said both companies have a similar culture, where the customer comes first."My focus is on the simplification and software and Amazon knows really well how to do that, so we learn from them, they learn from us and it's a good marriage," he said. "We learn from them on the software side of the vehicle, because that's where they do exceptionally well."While it's still unclear what kind of product the customer will be seeing from Amazon in Stellantis' cars, Curic said the Uconnect infotainment system will probably evolve into something else, but customers can expect a more diverse experience. One change where Stellantis will focus on is reducing the digital noise in the cabin, meaning smaller cars will not see screens all over the place."We're trying to be digitally quiet but precise in what customers want to do and remove friction. If you want to subscribe to an application in the vehicle, you should be able to acknowledge it with one tap or voice controls," Curic said.The Chrysler brand will see a turnaround in the next few years as it enters a new era to become Stellantis' first technology brand, but that will quickly replicate to the rest of the group. The new cabin experience with Amazon, dubbed STLA SmartCockpit, will arrive in 2024, and will bring artificial intelligence and cloud solutions to the interior.Transforming into a technology mobility company will not be an easy task, but a future roadmap of the products that it will use in the next eight years will be presented by Tavares on March 1, when the company will announce its plan for 2030.
It's almost Mecum Auctions time again! The bidding takes place March 16 to 19 in Glendale, Arizona, and live gavel-to-gavel coverage is available through our online subscription service, MotorTrend+ (sign up for a free trial today!), or on your television via the MotorTrend channel.There's something about the southwest when it comes to trucks. Pickups are plentiful there, and based on the wide variety of rigs that are up for grabs at the Arizona auction, we're very optimistic about the collection that awaits Senior Content Producer KJ Jones at the Mecum Auctions event in Houston, Texas, April 1 and 2, as well.For the first time ever, KJ will be on the floor at a big-time auto auction, and hopes are high that this upcoming Glendale sale will be a great precursor to what could be the most truck-heavy event on Mecum's tour.We've already noted two cool trucks being auctioned in Arizona: a 2020 Jeep Gladiator that was displayed at the SEMA Show in 2019, and a customized 1963 Chevy Greenbrier Sports Wagon that garnered great response.This teaser highlights a rare, dual-rear-wheel Chevy Suburban. The sample seen here is a 1986 model that wasn't produced by the factory (none of these rare unicorns were), but to many truck fans is a rig that Chevrolet brass should have authorized and offered for interested buyers. Can you imagine driving something like this today, with a 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engine under the hood instead of a basic big-block Chevy V-8?Related: The General Motors Duramax Diesel Engine Through HistoryLike the previous Mecum-Glendale rigs we featured, this 'burban has no reserve attached to its sale, which should make it interesting to watch.1986 Chevy Suburban Silverado DuallyFirst, this 1986 Chevy Suburban is not an actual 1-ton dually. It's a 3/4-ton rig that's been upfitted with a dual-rear-wheel axle, the appropriate finishing fenders, and so on. And for Chevrolet Suburban know-it-alls, yes, it's a Silverado in frame only; Suburbans and pickups share the same chassis, but the truckwagon has never formally had Silverado in its name.Big-Block Chevy PowerA 7.4-liter (454ci) big-block Chevrolet engine sits beneath the dually Suburban's hood. The limited information we have doesn't reference any modifications, but even the stock powerplant has plenty of oats.Low MilesIn 2022, 42,000 miles is the mark of a creampuff, especially for a rig that's closing in on 40 years old.Nothing's PerfectWe're guessing this image was included in the photo set for "full-disclosure" purposes—the 1986 Chevy Suburban dually is super clean, but it's not 100 percent flawless, as evidenced by the crack that runs down the dash cover.Rear ViewRoadkill host David Freiburger has a soft spot in his heart for 'burbans with rear "Barn" doors that open wide and promote easier loading and unloading of items in the cargo area. We also like the look of the big, wide "hips" on a Suburban, with four tires tucked beneath them.Dually SuburbanThis 1986 Chevy Suburban isn't the "best" truck among all the custom rigs being auctioned, but to us it's very cool. You just don't see dually (what is a dually, anyway?) Suburbans anywhere, so its rarity makes it worthy of receiving our spotlight for Mecum Auctions' Glendale, Arizona, event.2022 Mecum Auction ScheduleHere are the remaining 2022 Mecum Auction events that can be viewed on the MotorTrend+ streaming service (sign up for a free trial today!) and on MotorTrend TV.March 17-19: Glendale, ArizonaApril 1-2: Houston, TexasMay 18-21: Indianapolis, IndianaJune 10-11: Tulsa, OklahomaJuly 28-30: Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaAugust 19-20: Monterey, CaliforniaSeptember 8-10: Dallas, TexasOctober 14-15: Chicago, IllinoisNovember 11-12: Las Vegas, Nevada
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