Aston Martin and Lamborghini raise their own bars for 2025
The SUV/crossover remains the most popular type of new passenger car in America, regardless of the price segment. It’s also among the most profitable. That’s why premium brands keep adding them and revving up their specs. Two cases in point: the latest Aston Martin DBX 707 and Lamborghini Urus SE push performance, luxury, and price to new highs.
Here’s a look.
Aston Martin DBX 707 is the Standard 2025 Spec
For those who thought the Aston Martin DBX seemed a tad tame with its 542-horsepower Mercedes-AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, the automaker offered the DBX 707, with 697 horsepower. (The “707” is the output rating in PS for Europe.) It seems DBX fans really like the higher power, so for 2025, the 707 is the sole DBX model.
This is not just a power hike. The full 707 spec includes the nine-speed wet clutch automatic transmission that’s also from Mercedes-AMG, which calls it the MCT SpeedShift. It’s the same brilliant transmission found in the new Mercedes-AMG GT. The muscled-up DBX can zoom from 0-60 in a mere 3.1 seconds and go on to a 193-mph top speed (or just top speed brag).
All-Wheel Drive and Carbon Ceramic Brakes
As before, a sophisticated all-wheel drive system harnesses that prodigious output, which also includes 663 lb-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm, a huge jump from the 516 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm for last year’s “regular” model.
The chassis remains the same as before, though the computer-controlled shocks and air springs have been tweaked to further improve handling. Appropriately, the approximate $250,000 price includes standard carbon ceramic disc brakes with huge rotors – 16.5-inch up front and 15-inch at the back. Remember when just the wheels on an Aston Martin were 16 inches? On this one, they’re 22 inches in diameter, and 23-inch wheels are optional.
Green is the New Green
The 2025 DBX 707 looks just like last year’s model, though new flush-mounted door handles pop out to greet you as you approach the car (with the remote key fob on your person, of course). Among the new colors offered are three new greens (Aura, Podium, and Sprint), along with Helios Yellow and Epsilon Black.
Current DBX owners will notice the changes inside the 2025 model, including a redesigned center console, and updated steering wheel. For 2025, the DBX 707 offers the choice of three interior designs, each with different upholstery and trim. “Inspire Comfort” features matrix embroidery and quilting; “Inspire Sport” gets “vector” embroidery, and “Accelerate” has Alcantara faux suede. Gloss smoked oak, gloss titanium mesh, ziricote wood, and carbon fiber are trim options.
The driver faces a new 12.3-inch screen for the instrument panel, while a new 10.25-inch center touch screen features a new infotainment system. Should the standard 800-watt, 14-speaker audio system not prove sufficient for your discerning ears, ask for the Bowers & Wilkins 1,600-watt, 23-speaker surround sound system.
Lamborghini Urus Adds a Battery and 132 Horses
Meanwhile, in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, Lamborghini is taking a different route to building a super-SUV. Following hot on the tire tracks of its Revuelto supercar plug-in hybrid (PHEV) comes the automaker’s second plug-in, the 2025 Urus SE. This electrified Urus is expected to be the quickest version.
The Urus SE combines a 611-horsepower, 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with a 189-horsepower, 356-lb-ft. electric motor installed in its eight-speed automatic transmission. This is essentially a tweaked version of the powertrain used in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo E hybrid. In the Lambo, it issues a combined output of 789 horsepower versus 739 for its German cousin. That’s well above the 657-horsepower Urus Performante model.
Despite the added weight of the electric motor and a 25-kWh battery pack, the Urus SE should be the quickest Urus of the line. Lamborghini estimates that the Urus SE could drive up to 37 miles on battery alone. (U.S. EPA figures not yet available.)
Electric Modes for your Moods
The Urus SE offers driver-selectable modes to control how the hybrid system operates and charges. EV Drive mode selects battery-only power. Performance mode is where the fun is at, unleashing maximum electric power but draining the battery more quickly. In this mode, Lamborghini says the Urus SE will do 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and will be able to achieve 194 mph. Hybrid mode gives provides a mix of gas engine and electric. Recharge mode prioritizes keeps the battery at about 80 percent in normal driving, creating an all-electric reserve.
The Urus SE gains a 48-volt electric system to power the standard electrically actuated anti-roll bars. These automatically increase roll resistance when cornering and loosen up for highway driving comfort. The SE also offers the same road and off-road driving modes as the other Urus models. These manipulate throttle response and can increase ride height by up to three inches.
Urus Gets a Facelift for 2025
The SE previews the facelift that all Urus models will wear for 2025. There’s a new hood, adaptive matrix LED headlamps, a restyled liftgate, plus restyled bumpers and diffusers. New 23-inch wheels join the option roster, and, inside, a new 12.3-inch touchscreen is said to improve functionality and voice control.
The Urus SE price had not been announced as of late April but some auto media sources have estimated it at around $275,000.
