Performance SUVs
Large-displacement engines and turbochargers are at the core of performance SUVs. Think of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk or the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 both family wagons more at home towing a half-million-dollar cabin cruiser than plugging away over rocks or fording fast-flowing streams.
Popular Performance SUVs (#)
1. Porsche Cayenne
Porsche figured in the early 2000s that life could become difficult without an SUV in its model lineup. So, as a result of a joint development with the Volkswagen group (Touareg, Audi Q7) the Porsche Cayenne was born in 2003. The large-class SUV, in true Porsche tradition, didn't mess around with mild engines: The range started with a 4.5-litre, 250kW V8, along with punchier S and Turbo versions which stamped the Stuttgart mark on the segment. A more conservative V6 turbo arrived in 2007, and a diesel a couple of years later. The Porsche Cayenne is now in its third generation.
Read more Read less2. Porsche Macan
The second SUV to follow the Cayenne, the Audi Q5-based, mid-size Porsche Macan, was launched in 2014 using a similar sports-oriented philosophy to the larger Cayenne with a range of engines including a punchy 2.0-litre turbo, a 3.0-litre turbo V6 and two 2.9-litre turbo V6s (S, GTS and Turbo). The big difference is that, by 2021, the Porsche Macan is in line to have a full-electric, new-generation version on the books, with the longer-term range structure set to make petrol models an alternative, rather than the default choice. Considering the Porsche Macan is the brand's best-selling model by a significant margin, this should make for an interesting shift in the years to come.
Read more Read lessAll Performance SUVs
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