10 SUVS THAT CHANGED THE GAME IN PERFORMANCE

SUVs are without a doubt the most meta genre of cars at this moment. Everyone wants a piece of the SUV pie, thanks to their great combination of road presence, highway-friendly manners, and greater safety. These days, SUVs are anything the car-buying public wants them to be, including performance variants that light up drag strips and racetracks.

Two decades ago, the thought of a performance SUV would have rubbed every enthusiast the wrong way. Now, however, most carmakers are scrambling to produce their own performance SUV at the risk of being left behind. There are some that stand head and shoulders above the rest, and we look at 10 of these pioneers and how they changed the landscape as everyone knew it. Indeed, some of them are more fun to drive than sports cars, which says a lot.

Aston Martin DBX707

The Aston Martin DBX707 is an SUV that comes with bags and bags of performance. It is a modern performance monster that focuses on speed, while also wrapping its driver in luxury. Indeed, its specifications are so staggering that even some bona fide performance SUVs look like amped-up taxis next to it.

The DBX707's performance numbers are positively in the stratosphere. It is powered by a powerful 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that belts out a monstrous 687 hp and 663 lb-ft of torque. That helps it achieve the 0-60 mph dash in a blistering 3.1 seconds and top out at an unbelievable 193 mph. These are numbers that belong on an entry-level supercar, which confirms that the Aston is an undisputed king of speed in performance SUV history.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo

Everyone cried foul when Porsche introduced the Porsche Cayenne, the first SUV in the company's illustrious history. Despite backlash at first, Porsche committed to the model and eventually won everyone over. A major reason for that was the manufacturer offering incredible levels of performance in the Cayenne, with the Cayenne Turbo sitting at the top of the performance SUV food chain when it debuted.

Over the years, the Cayenne Turbo has remained one of the benchmarks of the segment, offering sports car handling and agility with SUV-like presence. The current model is powered by a 4.0-liter V8 that thumps out 541 hp and 567 lb-ft of torque. It is faster than most super SUVs today, but it is also a vehicle that comes with superior handling and dynamics.

BMW X5 M

The BMW X5 is one of the very best SUVs in its segment, offering a great mix of performance and luxury for its buyers. Things got even more exciting and impressive when BMW's M Performance got in on the act. The illustrious division, which has dealt with the likes of the M3 for years, shocked the world and applied their magic on the X5, much to the annoyance and disappointment of many. However, those people were quickly silenced once the X5 M debuted, for it raised the level that performance SUVs had to aim for.

The X5 M combined phenomenal pace with the standard X5's refinement and class, making it a truly incredible model. Even today, it is one of the very best performance SUVs that money can buy. The X5 M Competition is a powerhouse of a machine, putting out 625 hp from its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. As such, the 0-60 mph dash gets done in 3.9 seconds, and from then on, it is just freakish acceleration that warps around the driver.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

With Dodge running riot with the Hellcat and Demon models, it was only a matter of time before Jeep brought that powerful American goodness to the SUV segment. They duly obliged with the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which is basically one of those mad Dodges on stilts.

The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk makes the SRT model look like a family sedan. With a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that pumps out 707 horsepower and 645 lb-feet of torque, it is capable of smoking some actual sports cars. Indeed, it is a global powerhouse and a proper drag strip monster, to the point where everyone is wondering why it is not a mainstay in the Fast and Furious franchise. If Dominic Toretto ever opted for an SUV, he would be looking at the Trackhawk, a performance SUV that forced many to step up.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR

Land Rover is synonymous with ultra-luxury SUVs that are a class above the rest in terms of opulence and off-roading ability. However, even the British manufacturer felt a FOMO from everyone running riot with performance SUV models that took the fight to sports cars. Their riposte was the Range Rover Sport SVR, a machine that in typical Land Rover fashion dominated upon release and showed levels to the rest of the competition.

When Land Rover unleashed the Range Rover Sport SVR on the world, it hit the ground running, thanks in no small part to its status as the fastest and most powerful Land Rover ever produced. It quickly took to the Nürburgring and smashed the lap record time, circling the great track in eight minutes and fourteen seconds. That it did that without breaking a sweat and offering some phenomenal luxury and features made it a legendary model that is still a great buy today.

Tesla Model X Plaid

The Tesla vehicles are pure electric machines that have a ton of potential. While most of their models choose to focus on luxury and technology, the manufacturer has dabbled in performance from time to time. One of those ventures resulted in the Tesla Model X Plaid, which quite simply is a pace monster that can outrun the very best supercars in a drag race.

The Model X Plaid is ridiculous in terms of performance statistics. With its electric motors belting out an unbelievable 1,020 horsepower, it can go from 0-60 mph in a blistering 2.5 seconds, a whole four-tenths faster than the mighty Lamborghini Aventador. It completed the quarter-mile dash in a staggering 9.9 seconds, which made it an absolute game changer. Throw in the fact that it provided 333 miles of range, and you had an SUV that was a massive headache for the rest of the performance SUV segment.

Audi RS Q8

Audi has produced many fast SUVs over the years, but it only truly joined the party with the RS Q8. The 600 hp super SUV was a baby Lamborghini Urus, which allowed it to dust its competition without much effort. What made it a game-changer was its late arrival in the segment, for it came with all the bells and whistles required to be one of the most modern models around.

The RS Q8 came with Quattro permanent all-wheel drive that made it stick in the most slippery conditions. This was duly supplemented by a fantastic 4.0-liter V8 TFSI engine that put out 600 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. It is arguably the most practical performance SUV in the world currently, forcing buyers to consider multiple aspects before laying down the dough for a pacey behemoth.

Maserati Levante Trofeo

Maserati is famous for producing gorgeous cars that come with visceral engines and Italian flair. The recipe did not miss at all when they ventured into performance SUV land and came up with the Maserati Levante Trofeo. When it arrived, it was the most powerful SUV Maserati had ever produced, thanks to its phenomenal Ferrari power unit that helped it put out 590 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque and complete the 0-60 mph dash in 3.9 seconds.

However, it was not these performance figures that made the Levante Trofeo a revolutionary. The common stereotype thrown at Maserati vehicles is that they are exquisite vehicles that are just a bit eccentric compared to the Germans. This was destroyed with this Italian super SUV, which came loaded to the hilt with features and technology, including a great Q4 intelligent AWD system that adjusted torque distribution according to driving conditions.

Ferrari Purosangue

Until the Ferrari Purosangue, Ferrari's involvement in SUV land was limited to providing power units for the likes of the aforementioned Maserati Levante Trofeo. However, even the most popular carmaker in the world was forced to adapt to the times. That resulted in the Purosangue, which is a proper Ferrari and among the very best performance SUVs to have graced the planet.

The Purosangue had a lot to live up to due to its status as Ferrari's very first SUV, and it did that and then some. It was the most practical vehicle the Prancing Horse has ever produced, but that is hardly its most impressive feature. That would be its 6.5-liter V12, which put out supercar numbers of 715 hp and 528 lb-ft of torque. That it loses none of the trademark Ferrari DNA in SUV form only serves to make it an even more appealing machine.

Lamborghini Urus

Before Ferrari gave in to the SUV rage, Lamborghini did it with the Lamborghini Urus, which is an absolutely bonkers SUV that forced every other performance SUV manufacturer to step up or step aside. This was the world's most hardcore SUV, the big bad one of the lot, giving off major final boss vibes.

The Urus ticked a few people off by not coming with a V12 or V10, but its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine was enough firepower to light up roads and racetracks. With 641 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque on tap, it could hit 180 mph and accelerate to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. It quickly became Lamborghini's most successful model in terms of sales volumes, but it also revolutionized the entire segment. Indeed, the Urus is the Tribal Chief of performance SUVs and the one everyone is trying to knock off its throne.

2023-05-28T16:36:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd