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Updated: MAY 24th 2024

Russell Campbell

The nine best luxury SUVs for 2024

Outwardly, SUVs might seem like the bane of the car lover's life because, relatively speaking, they're uglier, slower, clumsier in corners and thirstier than a normal car – so why on earth do we all buy them? Because no matter what the detractors say, SUVs are the Swiss Army Knife of the car world: roomy inside, great for towing, and often pretty good off-road, too. Nowadays, their road manners are similar to a low-slung car; images of Land Rovers and the like barrelling into corners, door handles kissing the Tarmac a long-distant memory. 

Still need to be convinced? Well, the flipside of the coin is that the huge money manufacturers make selling SUVs bankroll the sports cars and supercars that tickle the fancy of enthusiasts. 

Bentley Bentayga Apex Edition 

If you're going to buy a Bentley Bentayaga it may as well be the sportiest version - the 550PS (405kW) Apex Edition (this is Goodwood Road & Race after all). A Bentayga that's had a long dip in the options list, the Apex Edition's most interesting feature is its 22-inch carbon fibre wheels, which shaves 24kg of weight from the 2.3-tonne SUV. No matter; the loss of unsprung weight and extra rigidity improves the Bentley's handling across the board, adding a new-found precision to how this goliath drives. And they glow orange – what's not to like? Okay, it is a little pricey at more than £220,000 a shot, but you get a choice of unique paint jobs, including Moonbeam Le Mans to match your Le Mans Edition Continental GT – always nice to have the pair. 

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Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is our kind of SUV – a big, roomy family SUV with an engine designed by Ferrari. Under the Stelvio's SUV body lurks the platform from the Giulia saloon, meaning this is one sweet-handling rig and you have all the power you need to put that to the test – the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 thumps out 510PS (375kW) which is good for 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and 178mph flat out. The Alfa is basically rear-wheel driven (with a mechanical LSD for 2024), meaning slides are very much on the menu, although the front wheels can be spun up to avoid any unplanned trips to the hedgerow. The rest of the changes are exactly what you'd expect of a mid-life facelift covering revised looks and new infotainment. It remains one of the most entertaining options on the luxury SUV ladder. 

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Porsche Cayenne Coupé

Even hardcore Porsche fans are forced to concede the brand did the right thing by jumping on the SUV bandwagon early, even if the Cayenne has never been easy on the eye. The bottom says it all and Porsche now builds way more SUVs than it does sportscars, thanks mainly to the fact it did a better job of translating sporting dynamics than it did aesthetics. The seemingly oxymoronic fashion for SUV coupés plays to the Cayenne’s strengths and it was inevitable Porsche would respond to the challenge of the BMW X6 and others like it. You can have it in various flavours but craziest of all is the fettled Cayenne Turbo GT, with its grippy tyres, aggressive camber and parping exhaust.

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Aston Martin DBX 

With its bespoke platform and in-detail engineering, Aston Martin took the opposite of the synical approach to the sportscar maker's SUV. It's no grandfathered platform, no monster for margins, it's been developed to be a proper Aston Martin and we're o-so thankful for that. Fast enough, genuinely decent fun and special-feeling, the DBX does for SUVs what other Astons do for sports and GT cars – near-perfectly compromises between the jobs of luxury, civility and engagement. Okay, it's hardly understated but it's also probably the best-looking luxury SUV going too. Just sort the digital stuff on the inside and sharpish, Aston.

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Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Traditionalists may be appalled and the critical response has been mixed. But Rolls-Royce knows its customers and realised those wanting an SUV with the Spirit of Ecstasy on the grille weren’t in the market for subtlety. So the Cullinan is truly excess in all areas. The waftability we associate with Rolls-Royce actually translates rather well into an SUV, where long-travel suspension isolates occupants from whatever is going on below them, whether that be smooth tarmac or something more challenging. You’re unlikely to see a Cullinan green-laning any time soon. And a Range Rover will still get you further in the mud. But for the polo field or grouse moor nothing comes close.

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Lamborghini Urus S 

Though it’s known as a supercar brand Lamborghini will be glad it once dabbled in off-roaders and can therefore claim a scrap of credibility in this arena. The Urus is a world away from the Countach-engined LM002 that evolved out of a project for a HUMVEE-style military truck but there’s a tenuous link there Ferrari may have reason to envy as it grasps the SUV nettle. Built on the same platform as the Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q8, the Urus benefits from the pooled resources of its Volkswagen owners and – whisper it – does a reasonable job of contriving supercar spirit in the high-riding SUV format. 

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Range Rover 

The latest largest most luxurious Range Rover absolutely does what it says on the tin. The design is intended to make it look like it's been hewn from a solid block. The last Rangie was an absolutely sublime luxury car, as well as a sublime SUV so it was tough to see how this one would make moves upwards. But it did. Now we just want to see them be reliable...

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Maserati Levante

Aesthetically one of the more successful translations of sporting pedigree into the high-riding SUV format, the Levante is often overlooked in this crowded sector but charms for its evocative badge and traditional sense of Italian style. It can’t compete with the high-tech German rivals for fancy gadgets and other gimmickry but the Levante’s charisma is enough to make up for a slightly outdated interior, the fact you can now get it in V8-powered GTS and Trofeo form with (respectively) 530PS (390kW) and 580PS (427kW) giving it the legs to live up to that famous trident badge. This, combined with a more luxurious vibe, makes the Levante a discerning choice for the SUV fan looking to stand out from the crowd.

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Mercedes G-Class 

Mercedes was early to the luxury SUV party with its original ML and has benefitted from this foresight to expand its range across all classes in which it operates. Indeed, there are so many Mercedes SUVs (and coupe derivatives thereof) it can get confusing. Standing over them all though is the G-Class, the hardcore 4x4 developed from utilitarian and military roots and recently reinvented as a modern luxury SUV. It keeps the old-fashioned, square-cut looks and stands true to its hardcore off-roader traditions. But it now combines that with S-Class grade luxury, refinement and driving dynamics that make it a viable alternative on the road too, especially in bombastic AMG trim.

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