There’s a new variant of Aston Martin‘s SUV, and it’s the most powerful one yet.
Using an enhanced version of the same AMG-borrowed 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, the DBX S makes 707 horsepower (717 bhp) and 664 lb-ft of torque. The power bump comes courtesy of turbo tech borrowed directly from the upcoming Valhalla supercar. This consists of bigger compressor wheels and “other internal improvements” that deliver more push at the top of the rev range.
The new top-dog DBX continues to use a nine-speed wet-clutch automatic transmission, but shift points in auto mode are tweaked to better suit the “extended rev range” while downshifts in Sport and Sport+ modes have been made more aggressive.
On paper, though, performance figures aren’t drastically different from the 707—in fact, this car’s 3.1-sec 0-60 time and 193-mph top speed is unchanged from that DBX—but the S is likely a racier experience in the flesh and in the corners.
Lightweight options can make the S almost 104 pounds lighter than the 707—a car which, to be clear, will still be offered. Optional 23-inch magnesium wheels are apparently a world first for any production SUV and cut almost 42 pounds of unsprung weight, improving the ride and steering feel (23-inch forged aluminum wheels are standard). A single-weave carbon fiber roof is the largest carbon part of its kind ever put on any Aston and cuts almost 40 pounds from the highest point of the vehicle. There’s even an optional front grille made of lightweight polycarbonate that surely shaves many grams.
DBX S gets a steering ratio that’s 4% quicker, not only making it a more responsive steed but also cutting the turning circle by 1.6 feet. Modified exhaust with vertical (!) stacked quad tips apparently makes the V8 sound even better.
The most notable upgrades seen in the S, however, may just be cosmetic. Aston has graced its SUV with an uncharacteristically hooliganish, almost hot hatch-like look, incorporating red trim taken straight out of the Honda Type R/Hyundai N playbooks as well as huge 23-inch wheels sporting a design that wouldn’t look out of place on, say, a GTI Golf that’s been modified with unlimited funds. As a certified tasteless dweeb, I don’t hate it; and if you don’t dig the red lipstick, those pieces of trim can be finished in silver or green.
Inside, the DBX S gets Alcantara and leather surfaces, and this neat herringbone pattern on the seats. The Aston Martin logos have apparently been embossed and debossed onto the headrests with 1.6 tons of pressure in what the company says is an industry-first technique.
If all that sounds appealing, order books for the 2026 Aston Martin DBX S are open now, and deliveries are scheduled to begin in Q4 2025.
Got a tip or question for the author about the DBX S? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com
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