Fast SUVs are more than a passing fad, with their unique combination of presence, performance and luxury proving perennially popular with those who can afford them.
There are some mind-blowing models out there that fit the performance SUV bill, but you need to be sure that they have the handling to match their performance. We take a look at ten of the fastest on today's market.
Range Rover Sport SVR
The SVR is the beefiest model in the Range Rover Sport line-up, with an electronically limited top speed of 162mph and 0-60mph smashed in just 4.7 seconds. It has a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine developing an eye-watering 542bhp. Throw in the best name in the business for SUVs and it’s no wonder that the SVR is seriously in demand, despite its £97,000 price tag.
Porsche Macan Turbo Exclusive Performance Edition
It’s hardly the snappiest titled car in the Porsche line-up, but the Macan Turbo Exclusive Performance Edition is certainly one of the most appealing, with a 3.6-litre twin turbo V6 engine developing 440bhp. Power delivery is brutal, with 0-6mph despatched in just 4.4 seconds, while the Performance Edition adds unique upholstery, Launch Control, 21-inch alloys and a range of unique paint options.
Mercedes AMG GLA 45
The AMG-tuned derivative of the GLA is more a hot hatch with extra ground clearance rather than an out-and-out SUV, but it’s also one of the best value cars in this group, available for less than £47,000. The macho crossover has a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which develops 355bhp and accelerates from 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds.
BMW X5 M
BMW was surprisingly late to the party with the X5 M and its sister car, the coupe-bodied X6 M. But despite lagging behind rivals such as the Range Rover Sport SVR and Porsche Cayenne Turbo in terms of release date, the hot X5 was worth the wait. Its twin turbo 4.4-litre V8 is a work of genius – devilishly fast, extremely refined and ridiculously quick. 0-60mph comes up in 4.2 seconds, with a 155mph limited top speed.
Mercedes AMG GLE 63
At a shade under a hundred grand, the AMG 63 GLE isn’t cheap, nor is it particularly pretty, with its bulky flanks and awkward coupe-shaped roofline. But what it lacks in delicacy it makes up for in brutality, with a 5.5-litre twin turbo V8 upfront developing 577bhp. Its performance is almost identical to the X5 M – 4.2 seconds to 60mph and 155mph limited.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Porsche has a legitimate claim to be the company that invented the performance SUV, certainly for the mainstream market, with the first Cayenne appearing in 2002. The current model sits bang in the same territory as the X5 and Mercedes GLE, and benefits from Porsche’s legendary dynamics, along with a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 kicking out 542bhp – enough for it to accelerate from 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds and on to a 177mph top speed.
Audi RS Q3 Performance
The RS Q3 is the best drivers’ car in the smaller crossover SUV market, and is also terrific value at less than £48,000. It has a five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbocharged engine producing 363bhp – enough for it to accelerate from 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 167mph. It also gets some legendary Audi ‘RS’ design touches, such as brushed stainless steel door mirrors, RS-logo brake callipers and a unique colour pallet.
Maserati Levante
Maserati’s first entry into the SUV market is a well-rounded one, bringing together the Italian brand’s trademark combination of ravishing luxury and punchy performance. It’s brilliantly executed, and while the Levante isn’t as fast as some in this company, it’s rapid enough – while the 3.0-litre twin turbo V6 is built across the road from Maserati’s Modena HQ by Ferrari. Bragging rights don’t get much bolder.
Bentley Bentayga
In terms of out-and-out top speed, the Bentley Bentayga is currently the fastest SUV in the world, topping out at 187mph. It’s also one of the most expensive, requiring at least £165,000 for the privilege of owning one. For that you get an ungainly but brutally macho SUV with a beautifully detailed cabin, 0-60mph in four seconds flat and a 6.0-litre W12 engine that sounds like nothing else on earth.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrafogilio
Alfa Romeo has been far from shy in marketing the new Stelvio SUV – the brand’s first foray into SUV territory. But the range-topping Quadrifoglio is something else. Powered by a 2.9-litre twin turbo V6, it develops a stonking 503bhp, and it’s agile as it is quick. When 0-60mhp is despatched in 3.7 seconds, that’s praise indeed. It goes on sale later this year, and we predict a long waiting list.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Officially the fastest SUV in the world, Jeep has confirmed that the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk will, indeed, be coming to British shores. It will be in limited numbers and pricing has yet to be confirmed, but the stats are eye-watering. 0-60mph in just 3.5 seconds, a top speed of 187mph and 697bhp.
Lamborghini Urus
Off-road ability is nothing new to Lamborghini. The company began life as a tractor manufacturer and also sold the LM002 high-performance truck between 1986 and 1993, but the new Urus is its first entry into the super-SUV market. On sale this summer, it has a 641bhp 4.0-litre V8, will accelerate from 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds and will top out at 190mph, meaning it will be the fastest SUV in the world when it arrives in the summer.
