Aston Martin DBX will get a 405kW V8

The Aston Martin DBX has entered the final stages of development, the British sports car maker has announced, confirming its first ever SUV will get a high-output version of Mercedes-AMG's twin-turbo V8.

Revealing that real-world and high-performance testing at both its Silverstone and Nurburgring R&D hubs was coming to an end, Aston confirmed for the first time that the DBX's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 would produce 405kW and 700Nm of torque – 30kW and 25Nm more than the same AMG V8 pumps out under the bonnet of the DB11.

Aston says the twin-turbo V8's performance and a top speed in excess of 300km/h has allowed the DBX to 'regularly' achieve a sub-eight-minute lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife, although an official time has not been released.

This is attributed to the big SUV being capable of cornering as hard as its baby Vantage coupe and braking as rapidly as the DBS Superleggera.

Whether the Aston SUV beats the current SUV lap record-holder at the Nurburgring – the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q, which set a time of 7:51.07 in 2017 -- remains to be seen.

The British car-maker says the DBX has benefited from the most comprehensive test and development regime of any Aston Martin ever and will combine serious levels of performance with both comfort and practicality.

It will sound good too, says Aston, which released a video in which its acoustically tuned exhaust resonates a deep bassy V8 soundtrack that transitions to something altogether wilder as the revs climb, or when sportier drive modes are selected.

Overseeing the DBX's gestation, Aston Martin's chief engineer said: “We have concentrated our work to ensure that the calibration and tune of this 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 delivers both the everyday usability and refinement expected by SUV owners.

"However, we have also focused heavily on matching that with the engaging driving dynamics that are commanded by our brand and inherent in every Aston Martin and early indications of the car’s overall performance have been incredibly promising."

The Aston Martin DBX is set for a global reveal in December and the next few months will be used by engineers for final engine calibration and chassis tweaks before final specifications are locked in for the production models.

Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer says demand will continue to outstrip supply after the DBX is released in 2020, as the car-maker will cap production at 5000 units per year.