The Best Sports SUVs of 2024
Despite the fact SUV stands for sports utility vehicle, your average SUV tends to prioritise practicality and ease of use over sporty handling and pin-sharp driving dynamics.
Yet car makers are aware enthusiast drivers may need an SUV but still want an engaging drive, hence the proliferation of the sporty SUV.
Thanks to a combination of advanced suspension technology and engineering expertise, our top 10 list of performance SUVs are not just blisteringly quick in a straight line, but can tackle corners the panache, too. There’s an increasing number of electric options now, too.
So, if you are after the ultimate blend of performance and practicality then take a look at our best sports and performance SUVs below:
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Take an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, stick a family-friendly body on it and add all-wheel-drive. This is the recipe used to create the blisteringly quick Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Thanks to grippy all-wheel traction it is actually 0.1-seconds quicker than the rear-wheel drive Giulia saloon to 62mph. It’s also almost as capable in the corners, making it a great sporty all-rounder.
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The DBX is Aston Martin’s first-ever SUV. Like many niche sports car manufacturers, entering this segment was essential for the brands survival, and happily the DBX retains much of what makes an Aston Martin such a special car.
The top-spec DBX 707 is just as ferocious in a straight line as some of the marque’s low-slung coupes, and it delivers an exhilarating experience on track, too. What makes it even more special is how it can transition between high-riding sports car and luxurious family transport at the touch of a button.
The top-spec DBX 707 is just as ferocious in a straight line as some of the marque’s low-slung coupes, and it delivers an exhilarating experience on track, too. What makes it even more special is how it can transition between high-riding sports car and luxurious family transport at the touch of a button.
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The level of luxury and speed offered by the Bentley Bentayga Speed surpasses just about every other vehicle on the road. It delivers astonishing performance while cocooning you in opulent leather-clad excess.
The sheer level of customisation on offer will keep you occupied for days as you spec your perfect version of what is one of the most impressive performance SUVs on sale today.
The sheer level of customisation on offer will keep you occupied for days as you spec your perfect version of what is one of the most impressive performance SUVs on sale today.
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The Audi RS Q8 is a technological tour-de-force with all the latest tech and luxuries you would expect from a range-topping Audi. It shares many of its under-bonnet bits with other ballistic SUVs in the VW Group like the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
That means a 592hp twin-turbo V8 and face-bending cornering potential. There’s still enough space inside for a family of five and their luggage.
That means a 592hp twin-turbo V8 and face-bending cornering potential. There’s still enough space inside for a family of five and their luggage.
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The BMW X6M Competition may not win any prizes for its looks, but it’s quite likely to take all the trophies when it comes to sheer dynamic ability. And even though it has indecent acceleration and handling capabilities, the X6M is just as practical and relaxing to drive as its less feral stablemates.
If supercar-humbling performance combined with a spacious and luxurious interior appeal to you, then this is may well be the do-it-all sporty SUV you have been searching for.
If supercar-humbling performance combined with a spacious and luxurious interior appeal to you, then this is may well be the do-it-all sporty SUV you have been searching for.
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BMW and Mercedes may have originally dominated the sporty SUV scene, but the Porsche Cayenne was the first to deliver superb on road dynamics and decent off-road capability all in one package.
The latest and greatest Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT will see off many supercars down a twisty road,, though it's far from cheap as standard, and gets even pricier with a few choice options added.
The latest and greatest Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT will see off many supercars down a twisty road,, though it's far from cheap as standard, and gets even pricier with a few choice options added.
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The ‘530’ in the badge of this particular Range Rover Sport refers to the 530hp you get from its twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine. If that sounds familiar, it should — it’s actually a BMW engine, which Land Rover buys-in from Munich. Which is fine, as it means you get a smooth, powerful engine that also sounds great and which gives the big, heavy Range Rover Sport some serious performance. Not as fast as its Porsche and BMW rivals, and you can’t get a seven-seater anymore, but a great blend of speed and comfort. Plus, it can get into some serious off-roading if you fancy.
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A Lamborghini SUV may seem like sacrilege, but this is actually the marque’s second dip into the Sport Utility Vehicle segment. The first was the LM002, fitted with a 5.2-litre V12 out of the Countach supercar. It was quick, but nothing like the mental Urus you can buy today.
The Urus Performante is the most extreme version you can buy. It looks like a road-bound jet fighter and delivers the kind of white-knuckled performance you would expect from a brand that makes cars that spit fire out of their exhaust pipes.
The Urus Performante is the most extreme version you can buy. It looks like a road-bound jet fighter and delivers the kind of white-knuckled performance you would expect from a brand that makes cars that spit fire out of their exhaust pipes.
Battery range up to 382 miles
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Fancy having 1,100Nm of torque to shove your big, fast, electric SUV around the place? Well, that’s exactly what the BMW iX M60 provides, and it makes for brutal straight-line performance. While that does limit it to a maximum range of 350 miles (and good luck getting that far…) the iX M60 does feel impressively agile to drive for something this hefty, and while it’s best described as an acquired taste on the outside, the interior is absolutely belting. The best high power electric SUV around, now that the Tesla Model X has departed UK sale.
Battery range up to 310 miles
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The Maserati Grecale Trofeo is a mid-sized SUV designed to take on the likes of the BMW X3M and Porsche Macan GTS. It differentiates itself with a dash of Italian style and a twin-turbo V6 that puts out (slightly) more power than these alternatives.
While a brand-new model, the Trofeo looks set to deliver the goods when it comes to performance, too. And were you to find yourself on a stretch of unrestricted autobahn, you could test its 177mph top speed claim.
While a brand-new model, the Trofeo looks set to deliver the goods when it comes to performance, too. And were you to find yourself on a stretch of unrestricted autobahn, you could test its 177mph top speed claim.
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