Model year 2026 marks the return of S variants to Aston Martin’s already stupendous model lineup. Performance enhancements, weight savings, and stylistic revisions will proliferate to the Vantage next, but for now, Aston hopes to bank first on the success of a new DBX SUV. A whole host of S revisions most notably bump output up to a total of 717 horsepower, versus 698 hp for the DBX 707, which critically vaults it back above the Ferrari Purosangue to reclaim the title of world’s most powerful non-electric and non-hybrid super SUV.
The increase comes thanks to a pair of upgraded turbochargers borrowed from the Valhalla hypercar – ironically a hybrid – with a 4-millimeter larger turbine housing. But as I learned on a drive program held through Santa Barbara, California, and the nearby mountains, the transformation from 707 to S means so much more than just boosting power by a few additional ponies. All the functional enhancements, though measured in marginal gains alone, simultaneously work together to somehow make my favorite super SUV even better.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but the difference between 698 and 717 horsepower at full throttle probably only matters while trying to pull off wheel-to-wheel passes on a racetrack. In the real world, on public roads, the experience of driving matters much more. And I can report with unequivocal confidence that the DBX now has the best steering of any modern Aston Martin. In engineering terms, the steering ratio tightens by just five percent, but not just via programming of the electric assist. Aston also revised the wheel hub mounting points where the tie rods connect, which results in a drastic improvement to feel and granularity.
Where every other recent Aston I’ve driven straddles a fine line between lightweight precision and a sense of anaesthetized numbness, the DBX S absolutely nails communicativeness for regular driving, then unleashes a more expressive nature while pushing hard. Part of the improvement likely comes down to a set of optional magnesium wheels, which at 23 inches in diameter are the largest on the market. Consider these absolutely mandatory: Together, the mag wheels save a total of 42 pounds of unsprung mass, the most important place to shave poundage, which always helps to improve both overall performance and steering feedback.
Pair drastically lighter wheels with mild suspension tuning updates for the adaptive dampers and 48-volt active anti-roll system, and the DBX S takes an even bigger step forward than the DBX 707 did for the 2025 model year. Meanwhile, the clean and crisp interior design carries over, now with Apple CarPlay Ultra to enhance the user interface with familiar overlays on the gauge cluster as well as the center touchscreen. Over the course of a long drive, CarPlay Ultra worked well other than a few moments when the audio stopped playing – in the more rural parts of central California, I can’t say with confidence whether that was an Ultra, an iPhone, or a reception-related issue.
The S’s optional carbon-fiber roof also slots in as another highly recommended option, if only to replace sun glare from the standard panoramic glass roof. This saves another 40 pounds in a critical location for improving the DBX’s center of gravity, too, though from the inside, the leather headliner integrates slightly less neatly than expected.
Other design updates include a honeycomb front grille inspired by the DBS, which cuts another seven pounds, and more efficient front intakes that also add a more dramatic angularity to the nose. The side skirts and rear splitter appear slightly smoother from most angles, meantime, and the little ducktail at the rear comes with a jet-black paint job inspired by the V12 Vantage S. Lower down, new stacked exhaust tips further integrate into a more cohesive and aggressive rear end.
That exhaust also ramps up the engine soundtrack, as well. By tuning the 4.0-liter V8 so those larger turbos prioritize power output at the higher end of the rev range, with freer flowing exhaust, the DBX S now settles into a lumpy idle almost similar to an American muscle car. Thankfully, gasoline particulate filters mandated by government regulations in other regions will not ship to the USA, and a very mild exhaust note routed into the cabin increases the overall resonance. Aston hoped to avoid any faux noise but the DBX’s incredibly effective sound deadening, which creates a shockingly quiet ride while cruising, almost made the new exhaust sound like it was coming from a different car.
Rest assured, at full throat, the DBX S snarls to life and bellows along while delivering endless wellsprings of torque, leaping forward at tremendous pace even halfway into the throttle pedal’s travel. Full throttle requires full commitment (and a long road) as the unbelievable traction allows for downright brutal forward shove, which then transitions to high-speed stability with ease.
I struggle to imagine that I actually sensed the additional 19 horsepower, an increase of nearly three percent. And total possible weight savings of 104 pounds only comes to a decrease of just two percent. Regardless, the DBX S feels more exotic, more raring to rev, and happier at the higher end of the tachometer than the outgoing 707. And all the while, even when pushing moderately hard on public roads, the reduction in overall mass, the lightweight wheels, improved steering, and suspension tuning do coalesce into a significantly differentiable SUV than any prior DBX. One that’s undeniably more fun to drive, and without sacrificing any of the comfort or luxury factor, either.
Surprisingly, Aston opted against transferring over the adjustable traction control settings available on the Vantage and Vanquish. I thought maybe the S package might have been a good time to introduce this, plus a rear-wheel-drive drift mode to take advantage of the electronic center differential’s ability to send 100% of power to the rear tires. But apparently, all-wheel-drive traction in a large SUV – even a significantly lightweighted one – simply makes this an exercise in futility.
Telling an S apart from the DBX 707 requires eagle eyes for any SUVs that lack the optional pinstripe livery. On the interior, though, a new quilting pattern for the seat upholstery (of course, still ventilated and massaging) stands out as a readily apparent change. But tacking on options adds up quickly: those magnesium wheels cost $22,300 while the carbon pack contributed $11,200 to my test car’s $350,500 MSRP. That’s a serious step up from the starting price of $270,500 and yet the DBX S still stands out as quite competitive against the rest of the super SUV segment.
A Lamborghini Urus SE, for example, starts at $262,630 with options that tend to compound even quicker, plus the power gains come at the expense of a hybrid system – for better and for worse. Ferrari’s “not-an-SUV” Purosangue that the DBX S needed to beat in power terms also sits at a much higher rung up the ladder, with a starting price of $428,686 (and I’ve never seen one that cost under half a million).
Every detail, the overall performance gains, the pricing, and the timing all fit into Aston’s plans to move more DBX units. The S arrives on a perfect schedule for anyone coming out of a three-year 707 lease, as will the Vantage S scheduled next in the planned release timeline. Expect more announcements about other potential S variants soon, as the new strategy under Lawrence Stroll and freshly appointed CEO Adrian Hallmark continues to develop. For now, the DBX arrived first to the S party, and if similarly significant updates proliferate across every model in the Aston portfolio, this plan portends very good things for the entire model range in the not-too-distant future.
Images: Aston Martin
