The 20 Most Powerful SUVs Of 2024, Ranked

The rise of the SUV seems unstoppable. Once seen as slow, utilitarian, and largely unappealing vehicles by the masses, today's top SUVs boast luxury interiors and power figures that would put even supercars to shame. The pace of this transformation has been remarkable — even the Lamborghini Urus, considered by many to be the epitome of overpowered SUV madness at the time of its launch, no longer makes it into the top 10 most powerful SUVs on the market.

One of the most significant factors contributing to this sudden surge in power is the switch to electric powertrains. The top four most potent vehicles are all-electric, and over half of the SUVs on this list feature some form of electrification. However, there are still some traditional V8 and V12 cars left in the rankings, at least for now. These SUVs sit atop the tree as the most powerful in their segment, boasting horsepower figures that would have been unthinkable just a decade or two ago. Each is available to buy in 2023, although their sky-high asking prices put the vast majority out of reach of all but the wealthiest enthusiasts.

Since the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S and GLS 63 share both a platform and an engine with an identical power output, they rank together. Both cars feature a twin-turbo 4.0L V8 engine making 603 horsepower, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. The GLE 63 S boasts a faster 0-60 mph time, clocking in at 3.7 seconds, while the GLS 63 posts a still impressive 4.1 second 0-60 mph time.

The GLE 63 S is also slightly less expensive, with a starting MSRP of $127,700 for 2024, while the GLS 63 will cost $145,850 before options are added. Both serve as the range-topping variants for their respective models, albeit catering to slightly different niches. The GLE 63 S is the luxurious family hauler, with seven seats available as standard, while the GLS 63 offers an SUV alternative to the S-Class executive limousine, with only five seats on offer.

Much like the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S and GLS 63, both the BMW X5 M and X6 M share a platform and engine and so are ranked together. That engine is a twin-turbo 4.4L V8 with mild hybrid assistance, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Power output for both is rated at 617 horsepower.

Primarily, the difference between the X5 M and X6 M is its styling: The X5 cuts a more traditional SUV shape, with a higher rear roofline and thus more cargo space in the trunk, while the X6 is its more swooping, distinctive counterpart. Pricing differs marginally too, with the X5 M starting from $124,800 and the X6 M costing at least $129,700. Performance figures are identical across both, with an officially quoted 3.7 second 0-60 mph time and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. The optional M Driver's Package, available on both models, raises the top speed to 174 mph and includes a day with a race instructor to teach drivers how to get the best out of their cars.

It was announced in December 2023 that the waitlist for the upcoming electric Range Rover had opened, with the brand claiming that the new SUV will "deliver performance comparable to a flagship Range Rover V8." Exact figures remain unconfirmed for now, but the current most powerful car available under the Range Rover brand is the Range Rover Sport SV Edition One. It churns out 626 horsepower, pushing it from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and onto a top speed of 180 mph.

Those ponies come courtesy of a twin-turbocharged 4.4L V8, the full power of which is unleashed when drivers press the "SV Mode" button on the steering wheel. The car then drops its suspension to sit half an inch lower to the ground, sharpens the throttle, and pipes more of the V8 soundtrack into the cabin. For the rest of the time when its full tire-smoking power isn't needed, the SV Edition One performs its role as a luxury barge as competently as the rest of the Range Rover lineup. As an antidote to the spirited driving its powertrain encourages, the top-spec SUV also features six "wellness programs," delivering what Range Rover calls a "multi-sensory audio experience."

Unfortunately for anyone looking to get their hands on a snarling V8 Range Rover before the arrival of its silent electric successor, the entire U.S. production run of the $180,300 SV Edition One is already sold out.

While not technically the most powerful model in the Cayenne lineup — that honor goes to the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid — the Cayenne Turbo GT is the closest the SUV line gets to proper sports car territory. It's still emphatically not a sports car, with its 5,055 lb curb weight and 5.5 feet high stature, but we thought its 650 horsepower, 4.0L twin turbo V8 did a remarkably good job of delivering the straight line performance of one.

In the curves the Cayenne Turbo GT excelled too, boasting more assured, precise handling than some might expect from a tall family hauler. The Cayenne was one of the original high-performance SUVs, its success helping to set the blueprint for the many competitors on the market today. The Cayenne Turbo GT is the most extreme iteration yet in terms of raw performance, with a 189 mph top speed and a 0-60 mph time of just 3.1 seconds, yet driving it at everyday speeds still delivered the measured, comfortable ride that made the Cayenne a bestseller. It's one of the most versatile super SUVs out there — but then, you'd hope so given its $196,300 starting MSRP.

Although the Cayenne Turbo GT sits at the top of the current Cayenne lineup in terms of both price and performance, it's not actually the most powerful variant. That honor instead goes to the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, which packs a combined total output of 670 horsepower from its 4.0L twin-turbo V8 and electric motor. That enables the super-SUV to reach a top speed of 183 mph, and reach 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.6 seconds.

It wasn't too long ago that those kinds of performance figures were reserved for supercars, but the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is just as capable of doing the school run as it is of embarrassing seven-figure Italian classics. The E-Hybrid can reach up to 83 mph with all-electric power, although the relatively small battery means the electric range is limited to around 20 miles. For 2023, the Porsche starts at $171,300, with the Coupe variant bringing the price up to at least $173,800.

Aston Martin's most powerful DBX makes 707 PS (metric horsepower), which translates to 697 horsepower. That's a significant boost over the 542 horses available in the regular DBX, with those gains primarily achieved through huge new turbochargers. Its other performance stats are similarly impressive: 0-60 mph comes in just 3.1 seconds, and its top speed sits at 193 mph. On the road, the DBX 707 is ferocious, to the point where we found it tricky to live with when driving around town at cruising speeds.

On the highway, though, the DBX 707's added horses really show. Stamp on the accelerator and you're rewarded with seemingly unlimited power, complete with a suitably raucous soundtrack. It's certainly not for drivers who want to slip by unnoticed, especially with the extra suite of carbon fiber aero bits that emphasize the car's already imposing stature. Prices for the 2024 DBX 707 start at around $248,000, but get liberal with the optional extras, and the total will be closer to $300,000.

It was only a decade ago that it seemed inconceivable that Ferrari would ever make an SUV. However, as the segment has continued to rise in popularity, even this most traditional of performance carmakers has given in, and the resulting Purosangue is the brand's first foray into the four-door family hauler world. In true Ferrari fashion, the brand has insisted that the Purosangue isn't actually an SUV, but a four-door sports car. Except, with a higher ride height and a raised roofline, to make room for luggage and fit four adults. Just like an SUV, then.

Whether Ferrari wants to admit that it's made an SUV or not, the Purosangue certainly sports a price tag worthy of a traditional Italian exotic, with even base-spec variants costing close to $400,000. Every launch variant packs a V12 engine with 715 horsepower under the hood, enabling a 0-60 mph time of around 3.3 seconds and a top speed of nearly 200 mph. Unsurprisingly, Ferrari has been inundated with orders for the new car, with the automaker even pausing orders in late 2022 because it couldn't keep up with demand. Anyone who's already put their deposit down for a new Purosangue faces a wait of up to two years to get their hands on one.

Just as controversial as Ferrari's Purosangue is the BMW XM, the brand's first dedicated M-badged SUV. Its design is, to put it nicely, divisive, but its performance prowess is much less debatable. In top-spec XM Label form, the car's twin-turbo V8 is assisted by an electric motor for a combined output of 738 horsepower. That makes the XM Label the most powerful M model ever made and the most powerful production car to bear a BMW badge. The all-electric range of the hybrid SUV is around 30 miles, with a combined total range of 300 miles.

Those range figures will undoubtedly decrease for anyone looking to test out the car's officially claimed performance stats. BMW says the XM Label will sprint from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds, and reach an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. Those are no doubt impressive numbers, but at the car's $185,000 starting MSRP, there is a packed field of similarly speedy competitors for buyers to choose from.

SlashGear's review of the GMC Hummer EV SUV summed it up as a "cartoon off-roader" — a consciously silly, oversized, and yet very capable SUV that retains the look-at-me feel of its gas-guzzling predecessor. It's not as powerful as the pickup EV Hummer, which produces 1,000 horsepower with its "Watts to Freedom" mode engaged, but the SUV still makes 830 emissions-free horsepower, making it one of the most powerful SUVs on the market.

It might be physically huge, but the Hummer EV SUV's four-wheel steering makes it surprisingly maneuverable compared to other SUVs, and the Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system makes highway driving less of a chore. Leaving the road behind, the Hummer is just as capable on rough terrain as you'd expect, with its CrabWalk function carried over from the pickup to help it navigate tighter spots. It is, in what might seem like a contradiction, just as unusual as it was expected to be, and although it's undoubtedly a niche vehicle, there are plenty of buyers who find its $104,650 starting price well worth splashing out on.

British sports car maker Lotus has lent its name to a new EV produced by Lotus Technology, a division of the Geely group headquartered in Wuhan, China. The Eletre is unlike any other Lotus before it and is the first of a range of "lifestyle" models set to be unveiled over the coming years. In its most potent "R" form, the Eletre makes 905 horsepower. Deliveries of the SUV have already commenced in China, with the UK and European customers set to receive cars within the coming months. American buyers will have to hold out a little longer, but orders are open and there's already a waitlist.

Lotus Technology says it has already had over 5,000 global orders for the Eletre as of January 31, 2023, and that number is sure to have increased in the time since. It remains to be seen if the SUV can turn around the fortunes of the struggling carmaker, but if the initial orders are anything to go by, it seems Lotus might be destined to become an SUV maker with a sideline in sports cars rather than the other way around.

While BYD might not be a familiar name to American car buyers, the Warren Buffett-backed Chinese automaker has rapidly expanded across Asia and Europe in recent years. In 2023, it became the 10th-largest carmaker in the world by sales volume, shifting 1.25 million vehicles in the first half of the year.

The majority of BYD's sales consist of affordable BEVs and hybrid vehicles, but it also sells two models under its luxury Yangwang brand in China: the U9 supercar and the U8 SUV. The latter is of most interest here, as it boasts 1,180 horsepower from its four electric motors and packs a turbo 2.0L four-cylinder engine that acts as a range extender. That makes it the most powerful SUV on sale in 2024.

In total, its combined range is claimed to be north of 620 miles, although only a fraction of that can be achieved on electric power alone. As well as being immensely powerful, the U8 boasts several other headline-grabbing talents, including the ability to tank-turn to squeeze into tight parking spots. It can also reportedly seal itself watertight and function as a boat for up to 30 minutes in case of an emergency. So far, the U8 has only been launched in China at a starting MSRP of just over $150,000, but the company has confirmed that it's evaluating whether to bring the SUV to European markets in the future.