SUVs offer unparalleled versatility by combining off-road capabilities with vast amounts of interior space. Not all SUVs are equal, however, and some leave a lot to be desired, especially on the performance front. While most modern sports utility vehicles will hardly see any off-roading, the ability to go anywhere is still firmly embedded in the segment’s DNA, especially when it comes to the full-size offerings.
This is where we typically find the best performers, as bigger size requires more potent powertrains. With that said, the winds of downsizing have caught on to SUVs too, and many of the great V-8 offerings are gradually being replaced by smaller V-6, inline-six, and even four-cylinder units, oftentimes mated to electric motors.
A small engine in a big car is not exactly a good idea for a number of reasons, which is why many customers prefer the (relative) simplicity of a bigger engine. With that said, there are still plenty of V-8-powered SUVs on sale today for those looking to get raw performance and a great soundtrack in a practical package.
10 Chevrolet Tahoe
If you are looking for traditional American SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe is one of the few that remain. The full-size Chevy SUV offers a sturdy, body-on-frame chassis, great for towing up to 8,400 pounds (3,810 kg). Another feature that hits close to home is that the model still packs naturally-aspirate, pushrod V-8 engines.
Even the base gasoline engine is a 5.3-liter V-8 with 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet (519 Nm), but of course, you can always step up to the 6.2-liter unit, which packs 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (623 Nm). Thanks to cylinder deactivation, the Chevy Tahoe proves you don’t need to swap a V-8 for a turbocharged blender in order to be efficient. As far as modern V-8 SUVs go, the Chevy Tahoe is as simple as it can get.
9 Audi SQ8/RSQ8
In 2018, Audi introduced its first coupe SUV in the form of the Q8. It didn’t take long for the S and RS versions to appear. The wider, lower, slightly less practical brother of Audi’s Q7, initially, did not arrive with V-8 engines, instead opting for V-6s. That all changed after 2020 with the SQ8 and RSQ8 models, which introduced 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 units.
There’s even a turbodiesel V-8 with 435 horsepower and 664 pound-feet (900 Nm). In addition to the twin-turbochargers, the V-8 TDI also featured an electric supercharger, in order to minimize turbo-lag. The other two 4.0-ltier twin-turbo V-8s were petrol engines with 507 and 600 horsepower, respectively. Regardless of the engine, the German SUV coupe always comes with Quattro al-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic.
8 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392
Jeep Wrangler has been one of the most true-to-tradition, rugged off-roaders ever made. When you think of old-school, American 4X4s, this is it. In Rubicon 392 guise, the retro-styled Jeep packs 6.4 liters of Hemi V-8. With 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm), 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) happens in 4.5 seconds.
To put things in perspective, that’s an identical time to the V-10-powered BMW E60 M5, which is both lighter and has more horsepower. More importantly, the Wrangler features off-road-friendly solid axles. It also boasts 44.5-degree approach angle, 37.5-degree departure angle, and a wading depth of 32.5 inches (825 mm). Until the new Ford Bronco arrived, this was the only rugged off-roader you could buy from an American manufacturer.
7 Mercedes-Benz GLS
Despite the boxy G-Wagen being the most iconic Mercedes SUV, it is the three-row GLS that’s considered the brand’s flagship, SUV model and takes on the likes of the Audi Q7 and the BMW X7. The G-Wagen, GLE, and GLS all share the same V-8 engines. In this case, the GLS 580 is the “smallest” V-8 you could get, although they are all different versions of the 4.0-liter, twin-turbo first introduced in 2014.
The AMG GLS 63 brings horsepower up to 612 with peak torque coming in at 627 pound-feet (850 Nm). All engines are mated to a nine-speed, MCT automatic. It may not seem like it, but the GLS shares the unibody construction with the smaller GLE. Despite the 5,633-pound (2,555 kg) curb weight, the AMG GLS 63 does the sprint to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds.
6 Jeep Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer
In 2021, Stellantis decided to bring back an iconic American nameplate from 1962. The Jeep Wagoneer is considered the first luxury SUV, but its later interpretations became luxury variants of the Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models. For 2022, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, once again, became their own models. The re-emergence of the Wagoneer name was accompanied by the Hurricane engine – the first American inline-six in a long time.
With that said, you can still get the Wagoneer with a HEMI V-8. The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 is available on the Wagoneer as part of a mild-hybrid powertrain. The 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 is exclusive to the Grand Wagoneer. With up to 477 horsepower and 455 pound-feet (617 Nm), the American luxury SUV is no slouch.
5 Aston Martin DBX
The SUV craze forced a lot of manufacturers to forgo their principles and create a high-riding model. Porsche was the first sports car manufacturer to do so, back in 2002, but no one expected Aston Martin to join the performance SUV bandwagon. That’s exactly what happened in 2020 and thanks to Aston Martin’s partnership with Mercedes AMG, sourcing an engine for the DBX was easier (and more affordable) than expected.
The Aston Martin DBX came with AMG’s 4.0-liter, M177, twin-turbo V-8, which puts out 542 horsepower and 516 pound-feet (700 Nm). The nine-speed automatic was the same Mercedes-Jatco 9G-Tronic, seen on the latest Mercedes models. With a curb weight of 4,949 pounds (2,245 kg), this is one of the lighter performance SUVs and 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in the DBX takes 4.3 seconds. The DBX707 meanwhile is one of the quickest SUVs in the world, completing the dash to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds.
4 Cadillac Escalade
When it comes to opulence in an American SUV guise, it doesn’t get much cooler than the Cadillac Escalade. You might argue that the Lincoln Aviator is the better luxury SUV to have come from the US, but that one ditched the V-8 some time ago. The Escalade, meanwhile, still offers an old-school, pushrod V-8. The base petrol engine is the same 6.2-liter, naturally-aspirated V-8 with 420 horsepower, you can find in the Chevrolet Tahoe.
The Escalade one-ups its more common sibling with a supercharged version of the same engine, pushing out 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet (885 Nm). Offered exclusively as an all-wheel-drive model and with a 10-speed automatic, this 6,217-pound (2,820 kg) luxury SUV sprints to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds.
3 BMW X5
BMW’s X5 is one of the original, performance luxury SUVs. The E53 generation debuted in 2000 as an answer to the 1996 Mercedes ML-Class - the first of the German premium SUV models. Throughout the X5’s life cycle, one thing remained a constant – the V-8. Since the 2010 model year, the naturally-aspirated V-8 offerings were replaced by twin-turbo equivalents.
Currently, the range-topping X5 M Competition packs 625 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (750 Nm) from its 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V-8. The lesser, X5 50i version packs a de-tuned version of the same engine with 530 horsepower and identical torque figure. With a 4.2-second 0 to 60 mph time, the X5 50i is 0.5 seconds slower than the X5 M Competition. The BMW X5 also remains one of the most performance-oriented SUVs on sale today.
2 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Porsche Cayenne is widely regarded as the brand’s savior. While we can talk about the unsung accomplishments of the 986 Boxster, the Cayenne not only guaranteed the brand’s future, but also successfully established a foothold in the SUV segment. The Cayenne was frowned upon for sharing too much hardware with the VW Tuareg and Audi Q7, but Porsche engineers did enough modifications to justify the price difference.
The first two Cayenne generations featured Porsche-derived V-8 engines while the third one utilized Audi’s modular design. Downsized to “just” 4.0-liters, the third generation’s twin-turbo V-8 packed up to 680 horsepower (with the optional E-Hybrid) and 664 pound-feet (900 Nm) for the Turbo S model. Interestingly enough, the non-hybrid Cayenne Turbo is quicker despite having 40 horsepower less. With an eight-speed automatic sending power to all four wheels, 0 to 60 mph happens in a super car-like 3.1 seconds.
1 Lamborghini Urus
The beckoning of the SUV craze reached even exotic carmakers like Lamborghini. This resulted in the Lamborghini Urus. Unlike most other sports car manufacturers, Lamborghini is no stranger to SUVs. In 1983, Lamborghini introduced the LM002, but the Urus is a different beast. The flashy, fastback SUV bears no resemblance to its rugged forbearer. Underneath the Italian body hides Volkswagen-Audi Group hardware.
The engine is the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, found in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Audi RSQ8, and other VAG products. With up to 666 horsepower and 627 pound-feet (850 Nm) in Performante guise, the Urus can sprint to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, on to a top speed of 190 mph (306 km/h), making it one of the fastest performance SUVs with a V-8, currently on sale.