When Aston Martin first rolled out the DBX in 2020, it was a little late to the SUV party. Bentley’s Bentayga was turning four, Porsche’s Cayenne was already celebrating its eighteenth and old grandfather Range Rover had ticked passed half a century in production. Even unlikely candidates Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini had been at the SUV table for the best part of three years. There didn’t appear to be much space for another luxurious, performance-focused SUV.
Nonetheless, the British-made DBX squared up valiantly to the competition when it first hit the road five years ago, with a potent Mercedes-AMG derived 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, a suitably sumptuous interior and a classic Aston aesthetic. Unsurprisingly, Aston’s most practical car soon became its best-seller but two years and one global pandemic later, and the marque decided the DBX needed a power increase – a sizable one.
Dialing the DBX up considerably, the 707 model was born – a snorting, 687 bhp DBX that genuinely drove like a super GT half its size and weight. When it was launched in 2022, it took the title as the most powerful SUV on the market and replaced the comparatively pedestrian DBX that went before it.
Rory FH Smith test-drove the new DBX S around Mallorca, Spain / ©Max Earey
Fast forward another two years and Aston’s decided it’s time for – yep, you guessed it – more power. This time, they’ve added a tell-tale ‘S’ suffix to the badge to make the DBX S, which produces a whopping 717 bhp from its AMG-sourced and tweaked 4.0-liter turbocharged V8.
What all that means in practice is that the DBX S patiently purring away before me is both the most powerful DBX to date and, crucially, the most perfected. Surely? In a word – yes. Making the DBX more powerful is fairly straightforward when you’re able to bolt on two new turbochargers that were part developed for Aston’s forthcoming mid-engined Valhalla supercar. That’s where the extra 20 horsepower comes from, “which might sound like a small step,” admits Andy Tokley, Aston’s chief vehicle engineer, “but what that really gives you is that performance feeling at the top end – it really eggs you on to rev the car out a lot more.”
But power isn’t everything – beyond the brutal grunt lie smaller tweaks – the secret sauce and spices that come together to finesse the whole package. There’s the new 23-in magnesium wheels, which reduce the weight by about 44 lbs; the new gaping grille and front splitter that force 20 percent more air through the engine; the revised exhaust for more V8 growl as well as grunt; the option of a carbon fiber roof which shaves another 44 lbs off; as well as better brakes and shaper steering.
On the road, all those adjustments make a difference, particularly on Mallorca’s switchback, twists and turns. Aston’s SUV was never short of poke or performance, but its new, fresh-faced sibling is a DBX that’s been nipped, tucked and dialed up to 11. The 0-62mph dash is covered off in just 3.3 seconds, while the top speed remains unchanged at a fraction under 200mph, which is hard to get your head around in a car of this size and stature. On a quiet corner of the island, I find a moment to put that acceleration to the test, only to find the Mallorcan countryside coming at me a little sooner than expected. That’s when you’re particularly thankful for the DBX’s ruthlessly effective carbon ceramic brakes. Believe me, they manage to bring a 2.5-ton SUV to a standstill impossibly fast.
When a little more stationary, it’s possible to try and tell the S’ apart from the existing 707 on the outside. While it’s not a particularly easy task for the casual car spotter, the clearest signs are the black-vaned grille, and a new splitter up front; the new sills on the sides; a reprofiled rear bumper and diffuser; and the arrival of stacked exhaust pipes, reportedly inspired by the Vanquish that launched last year.
On the inside though it’s a marked departure from the car that first arrived in 2020. Beyond the improved fit and finish, there’s Apple CarPlay Ultra, which offers Apple-style graphics and user experience across the entire dashboard – from the DBX’s central screen, all the way to the digital dials for the driver. Beyond that, it’s largely business as usual for anyone familiar with the latest DBX’s refined interior offering, only with a few ‘S’ badges scattered around to signal you’re in Aston’s flagship SUV. It’s still every bit the sumptuously appointed car it always was, only with tech that finally matches up to its outrageous appetite for performance.
If the story of the DBX is one of constant iteration, then the DBX S is simply the latest and most polished chapter yet. Aston’s asking £210,000 (approx. $282,400) for the S – the same starting price as the existing 707. The difference is the S is offered with the lightweight options list, which will soon see the price rise well above the £250,000 mark. Still, that’s considerably less than its Italian counterpart, the Ferrari Purosangue, which starts at $433,600 for 2025. Oh, and did I mention the Aston’s got the edge on the Italian when it comes to power? Yes, it might only be a puny 2 bhp more but it’s enough to capture the all-important bragging rights as the most powerful non-electrified SUV on the market. For now, at least.