From BMW to Bentley, almost every upmarket car brand now offers an SUV of some description. Even Ferrari has joined the party with its V12-engined Purosangue.
Luxury SUVs offer the comfort and prestige of a large saloon car, but with the potential to venture off-road. You also get a commanding driving position and enough space to rival a boutique hotel room.
We’ve pulled together a list of the best luxury SUVs to buy in 2024, with our choices presented in alphabetical order.
Aston Martin DBX
Developed from scratch, the DBX was a big gamble for a small company like Aston Martin. Thankfully, the St Athan-built DBX is the best thing to come out of Wales since the Manic Street Preachers.
This design for life is powered by a 550hp 4.0-litre V8 from the Aston Martin Vantage, which propels the 2,245kg DBX to 62mph in 4.5 seconds. Or you can upgrade to the ballistic DBX707, one of the world’s fastest SUVs, with 707hp and a top speed of 193mph. Both cars put the ‘Sport’ firmly into ‘Sport Utility Vehicle’. An forthcoming 2024 update will slim the range down to just the DBX707, but also introduce much-improved infotainment.
We said: ‘The new AMG-sourced transmission is key to the DBX707’s added urgency. Where the torque converter ’box of the standard car might hesitate to kick down, this setup is fiercely focused, with whipcrack shifts via the long metal paddles. And when you aren’t doing your best Sebastian Vettel impression, it’s smooth and GT-like in automatic mode, too.’
Read our Aston Martin DBX review and DBX707 review
Audi Q7
Once considered bold and perhaps rather brash, the Audi Q7 looks quite subtle alongside many of today’s SUVs. It’s also one of the most affordable routes into high-rise luxury, with prices starting from £67,500. You don’t need to tick many option boxes before the price leaps significantly, though. The fully-loaded Vorsprung model costs from £91,000.
Standard specification is generous, with all Q7s getting seven seats, air suspension, Matrix LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, two touchscreens and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. Buyers can also choose from 3.0-litre V6 petrol and diesel engines – or in the case of the flagship SQ7, a 507hp 4.0-litre V8.
We said: ‘The Q7 majors on comfort rather than precision, with its air suspension delivering a cushion-soft ride if you resist the lure of huge alloy wheels. Inside, you’ll find a near-faultless and high-tech cabin, plus a huge amount of space for passengers and luggage.’
Bentley Bentayga
A few eyebrows were raised when Bentley launched an SUV back in 2015, but the Bentayga was a critic-silencing class act. It remains so following updates in 2020 and at the end of 2023. The latest tweaks improved the climate control, introduced a new ‘A’ trim level and updated the driver assistance systems.
The Bentayga offers a choice of V8 petrol and V6 hybrid powertrains, along with the option of an Extended Wheelbase (EWB) version, which provides even more luxury for rear-seat passengers.
We said: ‘Bentley’s powerful active anti-roll system is standard, and clever tweaks to the torque vectoring system make it feel snappier and more like a hot hatchback through bends. Cornering isn’t something that comes naturally to heavy and high-riding SUVs, but the Bentayga S shows what can be done with a bit of nous.’
Read our Bentley Bentayga S review and Bentayga EWB review
BMW X7
The X7 is a 7 Series saloon on stilts: a full-size SUV for buyers who demand more luxury than the BMW X5 can deliver. It’s the first time BMW has offered a genuine Range Rover rival, and it sure ain’t subtle.
Prices start from £88,000, but you’ll pay well into six figures for the 530hp M60i version.
Still, it’s more affordable than the Bentayga, albeit without the extra layer of opulence. Seven seats come as standard, while the optional six-seat layout (£660) creates more room for passengers in the second row. The £18,000 Ultimate Pack features the likes of a Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound audio system, five-zone climate control and 22-inch alloy wheels.
We said: ‘The X7 is the antithesis of the compact crossover. It’s an unashamedly big, bold SUV that has much in common with the tech-laden BMW 7 Series.’
Genesis GV80
It’s too early to say if Genesis will do a Lexus (succeed) or Infiniti (fail) in the UK, but if the company’s success in South Korea and the US is anything to go by, it stands a fighting chance. It helps that its cars are very convincing.
Until the arrival of the GV90, the GV80 is the largest Genesis SUV you can buy, with prices starting from a bargain £60,000. It actually feels more upmarket than its premium rivals, while its interior is almost as plush as a Bentley.
We said: ‘On balance, then, this is a better car to own than to drive – the exact opposite of a Range Rover Sport, perhaps. If you crave an easy motoring life, or you simply want something different to the premium norm, it’s worth arranging a to-your-door test drive.’
Lamborghini Urus
The idea of a Lamborghini SUV isn’t a new one. Car enthusiasts of a certain age will remember the ‘Rambo Lambo’ LM002 of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Not that this stopped many from choking on their Ricicles when Lamborghini unveiled the Urus.
The Urus looks and feels more like a four-seat supercar than a traditional SUV. Lamborghini calls it a ‘Super Sport Utility Vehicle’, highlighting its ferocious pace and incredible handling. Whether you opt for the ‘standard’ Urus S or the hardcore Performante, its 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 serves up a devilish 666hp. The Performante adds steel springs and adaptive dampers (rather than air suspension) and a shouty Akrapovic exhaust.
We said: ‘Confession time: I was one of those Porsche diehards who complained about the Cayenne, and part of me feels the Urus isn’t a ‘proper’ Lamborghini either. However, it’s an accomplished all-rounder with more performance and presence than any other SUV on sale. And that, I suspect, is precisely what buyers will want.’
Read our Lamborghini Urus review and Urus Performante review
Mercedes-Benz GLS
Once upon a time, the plutocrats and oligarchs of Europe rolled around in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, with a driver to whisk them from superyacht to helicopter. Today, they’re just as likely to be seen in the back of a GLS, the firm’s largest and most opulent SUV. We could argue that it’s too big for British roads, but that’s true for the majority of vehicles on this list.
Look beyond size matters, though, and you will enjoy the ultimate expression of Mercedes-Benz luxury, especially if you opt for the £182,000 Maybach GLS 600 4Matic First Class. Alternatively, select one of the Mercedes-AMG models, which offer more performance and a bombastic soundtrack.
We said: ‘If the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the best premium saloon in the world, the GLS must be the best premium SUV.’
Read our Mercedes-Benz GLS review
Porsche Cayenne
Don’t knock it. It’s thanks to the Cayenne and Macan that Porsche is able to continue building sports cars like the 911. This alone wouldn’t be enough to secure a place on our list of the best luxury SUVs, so it’s fortunate that the Cayenne is an impressive Porsche in its own right.
Even the ‘basic’ Cayenne can hit 62mph in six seconds before reaching a top speed of 154mph. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Turbo E-Hybrid packs a 739hp punch and tax-friendly CO2 emissions from just 39g/km.
We said: ‘From wafting silently through the city to smoking sideways around a track, the Cayeene Turbo E-Hybrid GT certainly fulfils a broad brief. But I’d probably spend half the money on a standard Cayenne E-Hybrid, then buy a Cayman GTS 4.0 sports car with the change. That’s an even better way to tick every box.’
Read our Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid GT review
Range Rover
The Range Rover has been the luxury SUV of choice since 1970. Although the latest incarnation is a world away from the wipe-clean and hose-down spec of the original, the Range Rover retains its unrivalled off-road capability and peerless image.
The latest, fifth-generation Range Rover is available with seven seats for the first time, plus a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains (with a fully electric version coming soon). It still feels like the benchmark against which other luxury SUVs are judged.
We said: ‘How does it drive? Oh, like a Range Rover: impeccably. The serenity and sense of wellbeing is all-encompassing. It’s not uncannily silent, like an electric car, but the background hum of the super-smooth engine merely seems to enhance the experience. A bit like the vibration-free noise of a car in the movies, when they are driving on a green screen.’
Rolls-Royce Cullinan
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is, by some margin, the most expensive luxury SUV on our list: a clear six figures more than a Bentley Bentayga or a fully-loaded Range Rover. Bank on spending around £315,000 before you’ve personalised your high-rollin’ Rolls-Royce.
Its styling will divide opinion. Being kind, the Cullinan is more imposing than it is stately. However, the level of craftsmanship is on another level to most luxury alternatives – it’s best to think of it as a ‘Ghost SUV’. Inside, it’s as quiet as a church mouse, while the ride comfort is matched only by, well, another Rolls-Royce.
We said: ‘The Cullinan glides away from junctions with the serenity of a yacht casting off to sea, its creamy 6.75-litre V12 so hushed you could be driving an EV. The steering is fingertip-light and the huge wheels seem to squeeze the road into submission. By the time I arrive, both my passengers are fast asleep.’
Read our Rolls-Royce Cullinan review and Cullinan Black Badge review
Volkswagen Touareg
If the inclusion of a Volkswagen on this list seems a little odd, hear us out. The Touareg is based on the same platform as the Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne, so it feels like a cut-price ticket into the world of posh SUVs. Prices range from £70,000 to £80,000.
For that, you get four-wheel-drive, an eight-speed transmission, an interior that feels a cut above its mainstream rivals and a choice of 3.0-litre V6 petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid engines. Granted, it can’t match the other cars on this list in terms of opulence and a sense of occasion, but many will appreciate the understated styling. It’s also huge, with seating for five adults and a massive boot.
We said: ‘The Touareg isn’t that most modern of oxymorons, a sporty SUV, and it’s all the better for that. Instead, it majors on calm, easygoing comfort. The light steering lacks feel and the ride on standard steel springs felt slightly firm over low-speed holes and humps (we’re told the optional air suspension improves matters). Still, the VW comports itself well for a 2,443kg SUV, dispatching long distances with minimal fuss.’
Read our Volkswagen Touareg review
READ MORE:
Best luxury cars to buy in 2024