the quickest, most powerful SUV on the block

BUNDANG, Gyeonggi — With the DBX, Aston Martin proved its ability to shift the design language of its sports cars to create a luxury SUV.
 
Taking one step further, the British marque shows that such a transition can be executed gracefully with the introduction of DBX707, the high-performance version of the DBX, known as the “quickest and most powerful luxury SUV on the planet.”
 
The Korea JoongAng Daily recently took behind the wheel of the DBX707 on a 50-kilometer (31-mile) journey around Seoul. The model was launched in Korea in July last year.
 
At a glance, the SUV with a coupe-style rear is thinner and sharper than expected despite the 5-meter-plus length. 
 
Known as the brand of agent James Bond, the DBX707 comes with the widest radiator grille of any other Aston Martin car. Its signature oval-shaped headlights are attractive enough to offer a muscular and majestic look. 
 

The glass panoramic sunroof of the DBX707 gives it a sports car vibe [ASTON MARTIN SEOUL]

The glass panoramic sunroof gives it a sports car vibe, which the British brand is best at.
 
When all is said and done, the DBX707 shines most when you actually get behind the wheel and feel its ultrapowerful driving performance. 
 
What surprised this reporter most was that the car, weighing more than 2.2 tons, doesn’t shake much even when hitting speed bumps without reducing the speed.
 
Acceleration was surprisingly smooth yet strong even though it rained heavily during the test drive. 
 
Powered by a 4-liter turbocharged 8-cylinder engine, it only takes 3.3 seconds to reach 100 kilometers per hour from zero speed.
 
As shown in the name, the car generates up to 707 metric horsepower, which translates to 697 horsepower in America — even more powerful than Lamborghini’s Urus SUV.

The interior of the DBX707 [ASTON MARTIN SEOUL]

 
To ensure safety the car made a series of beeps to alert the driver if any cars were approaching from nearby lanes. The sound was frequent — at some points, very annoying — even when other cars were not that close by.
 
It’s a classic luxury car, so don’t expect it to have all the comfortable functions that the latest cars offer these days.
 
The center display doesn’t have a touch screen, with a head-up display not available. A wireless charging system is absent as well.
 
An in-car navigation system is offered, but quite helpless. Connecting a smartphone to the car seems essential to use the navigation app.

The trunk capacity of DBX707 stands at 638 liters. [ASTON MARTIN SEOUL]

 
But that’s also not easy. It only has a Type-A USB port, not the Type-C that supports today’s smartphones. This means people with the latest smartphones cannot connect their phones to the car unless they have a separate adapter.
 
Even if you have an adapter, if your phone is not from Apple, you can’t connect your navigation as the car only supports Apple CarPlay.
 
After the one-hour test drive, the car recorded 3.4 kilometers per liter of fuel economy. Surprisingly low, but those who can afford the luxury car probably won’t care about the fuel efficiency. 
 
The sticker price of the DBX707 starts from 317 million won ($239,000). 
 

The rear of the DBX707 [ASTON MARTIN SEOUL]

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]