Battle Of The Pumped SUVs
In an era when SUVs rule the road and drivers are rapidly abandoning sedans, coupes and sports cars, Aston Martin’s DBX 707 and the Cadillac Escalade-V offer serious performance fans two promising alternatives—albeit with very different characters.
The British marque, best known for sports cars, clearly read the Earl Grey tea leaves two years ago when it launched its first utility vehicle, the DBX. Now, the DBX 707 takes it up a few notches. This sexy brute punches out 707 horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque making it the most powerful gas-run SUV on the planet.
But it’s got some serious competition from the new Cadillac Escalade-V. It’s the first Caddy utility vehicle to get the V-Series treatment, adopting a modified version of the engine found in the new CT5-V Blackwing sedan. With its even bigger supercharger, this 6.2-liter V-8 churns out 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough to scream from 0 to 60 in just 4.4 seconds—0.4 seconds faster than a Porsche Carrera S.
Think of the British model as a classic Aston on steroids. It’s the biggest—and, at 5,148 pounds, the heaviest—model the brand has ever built. Yet it still boasts a sleek, aggressive exterior design, even with a cabin that comfortably seats four. Despite its size, it handles like a classic Aston grand tourer, hitting 60 in barely 3 seconds.
The Escalade is more than a half-ton heavier, at 6,407 pounds on the extended wheelbase model, the V model adding quad exhaust tips and the big Brembo brakes needed to scrub off speed. For its size, it’s more agile than you’d imagine, though it’s still more muscle car to the Aston’s sports car. And whereas the British SUV has a cockpit-like feel, the stretched Escalade-V is a three-row living room on wheels.
While each has a distinctive look and feel to meet decidedly different needs, the new Aston Martin DBX 707 and Cadillac Escalade-V are two great options for luxury SUV buyers craving power and performance. The Aston starts at $239,086, including delivery fees, the extended-length Caddy at $152,990.
