The DBX just borrows an engine from Mercedes-AMG, right? Wrong. While the base engine in the regular DBX is from AMG, for the DBX707, Aston Martin didn’t just purchase an off-the-shelf solution. Instead, the automaker poached the engineer who developed this engine for AMG, shipped him to England, and let him perfect his creation for the brand.While its European numbers give the DBX707 its name, here in the US on SAE-standard horsepower, the motor produces 697 hp – a full 13 shy of the Dodge Durango Hellcat. But Aston says the horsepower figure was merely a byproduct of developing the engine’s character to its liking, with torque being a greater focus for the engineering team than bragging rights. The Durango Hellcat has only 645 lb-ft of torque, while the DBX707 gets 663 lb-ft.And just in case there’s any doubt, the Aston would clean up in a race against the Dodge. It can hit 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds on its way to a 193 mph top speed. A Lamborghini Urus Performante would struggle to keep up.Even in a quarter-mile drag race, seemingly the Hellcat’s domain, the DBX707 would cross the line in just 11.5 seconds at 119 mph (the Durango takes 11.7 seconds). Getting the DBX707 off the line is easy; just mash both pedals, release the brake, and prepare for takeoff. It has one of the most savage launches we’ve ever felt in a gas-powered SUV, but it lacks the clinical efficiency of a German SUV, scrabbling for grip on less-than-ideal surfaces.
Driven: The 2023 Aston Martin DBX707 Is The World’s Coolest SUV
