The Aston Martin DBX707 has started rolling off the line in St. Athan and the Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart, was on hand to celebrate the completion of the first model. Powered by a 697 hp twin-turbocharged V8, the DBX707 is currently the most powerful SUV on earth. Now that it is rolling through the production line, it will be shipped to more than 50 countries in the coming months.

The automaker said that it had to hire 100 new skilled technicians in order to support the ramp-up of the DBX707 production at the St. Athan plant. The DBX is the first production car to be made in Wales in nearly 50 years and the DBX707, specifically, is the first model developed under the leadership of Lawrence Stroll, the company’s new Executive Chairman.

The “DBX707 is a symbol of the new era for Aston Martin and the brand’s ability to combine ultra-luxury and high-performance,” said Straughan. “The initial reaction from customers and media has been tremendous, and as we ramp-up DBX707 production at St Athan, it is fantastic that we have also had the opportunity to grow our team and create more employment opportunities for people from the local community.”

Thanks to its enormous power, the DBX707 can go from a standstill to 96 km/h in just 3.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 310 km/h. It is further enhanced over the standard DBX by a new nine-speed wet-clutch transmission for faster shifting, an upgraded limited-slip differential, a tweaked all-wheel-drive system, and additional chassis improvements. The first deliveries of the SUV are set to commence before the end of June with a starting price of US$ 232,000 in the US market.