SUVs are now ubiquitous in the range of even the most prestigious manufacturers. Sporty manufacturers such as Lamborghini, Ferrari and Aston Martin are all getting in on the act, hoping to get a piece of the action. Let’s take a look at the most luxurious SUVs on the market.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Rolls-Royce is considered one of, if not the most luxurious brand in the world. For 2019, the British company is introducing an opulent SUV called the Cullinan. It too honours the brand’s success with limousines, with a powerful 6.7-litre V12 with 571 hp and 850 Nm of torque.
Bentley Bentayga
Opposite the Cullinan is Bentley’s Bentayga, the technical cousin of the Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus and Audi Q8. The British SUV is available in several versions, including a plug-in hybrid, but the fastest is of course the Speed variant with its 6.0-litre W12 TSI producing 635 hp and 900 Nm.
Lamborghini Urus
It is the first modern SUV from the Sant’Agata Bolognese firm. Directly derived from the Audi Q8, the Urus is the first model sold by Lamborghini and has been a real commercial success since its launch in 2018. Under its bonnet, we find the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 650 hp and 850 Nm of torque. It is capable of top speeds of over 300 km/h.
Aston Martin DBX
It too is the brand’s first SUV. The Aston Martin DBX arrives in 2020 with the mission of boosting the sales of the Gaydon-based firm. Under the bonnet is the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that develops 550bhp and 700Nm. Recently, the brand presented the 707 versionwith 707 horsepower and 900 Nm, still with the same V8.
Porsche Cayenne
The Cayenne may not be the most prestigious and luxurious in this category, but it is undoubtedly the one that does everything best. Sporty, rugged and comfortable, yet very upscale, the Cayenne is a small institution in the world of luxury 4x4s. Several engines are available, including the hybrid, with power ranging from 340 to 680 hp for the formidable Turbo S E-Hybrid version.
Land Rover Range Rover
It’s a bit like the boss of this category: the Land Rover Range Rover. It has recently been given anew generation, making it more technological, more efficient and, at the same time, more luxurious. The range of engines is very wide, from a 250hp diesel to a 530hp V8 version. In between, there are plug-in hybrid versions, ideal for the French market.
Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600
The Mercedes GLS is already an SUV with a big footprint. But in its Maybach version, this model is clearly in the category of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the Bentley Bentayga. It’s all luxury and refinement, and its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, borrowed from AMG, develops 558 bhp and 730 Nm.
BMW X7
To counter the GLS, BMW has released the X7, a large, luxurious and opulent SUV available in 5 or 7 seats. A little less upmarket than the GLS, the X7 makes up for it with its dynamic performance. A 3.0-litre, 340bhp six-cylinder diesel is available, while a powerful 530bhp 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol version tops the range.
Audi RS Q8
The technical cousin of the Lamborghini Urus is a little slower than the transalpine SUV, but its 4.0-litre TFSI twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 600 bhp gives it a voice. More sporty than luxurious, the RS Q8 prefers carbon to suede, big exhausts to a stylish diffuser and bucket seats to comfortable armchairs. It’s a true sports SUV.
Ferrari Purosangue
The first Ferrari SUV will be released this year. It will be called Purosangue: a special, limited version will be released at the car’s launch with a powerful V12. Other versions, with a V8 and, perhaps, a V6 hybrid, will be included. We’ll know in a few months.
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