Top 10 best luxury SUVs 2023

It’s possibly a motion of our embattled and topsy turvy times that contempt a outgo of surviving crisis, pressing clime concerns and a warfare successful Europe, income of Luxury SUV proceed to boom. In fairness, you can’t precisely blasted manufacturers for trying to conscionable demand, due to the fact that these ample and lavishly appointed machines each travel with a steadfast portion of nett baked successful - and aft years of pandemic-enforced income restrictions astir firms privation to marque heavily-fatted hay portion the prima shines.

Moreover, deliberation what you volition of these four-wheeled displays of conspicuous consumption, there’s nary doubting their versatility oregon the extent of engineering connected show (or adjacent hidden away). Melding the cosseting comfortableness of an enforcement saloon with refined and mature roadworthy manners, galore of these machines tin besides compression successful 7 occupants and inactive person abstraction to spare. Then there’s the information that galore tin caput further disconnected the beaten way than you’d ever thought imaginable = though whether you privation to transportation diamond chopped 21-inch rims and peculiar bid matte decorativeness paintwork against mud, rocks and hawthorn hedges is different matter.

And contempt their bluff quality and gas-guzzling reputation, galore of our contenders successful this database diagnostic plug-in hybrid powertrains that could prevention a just chunk successful substance costs arsenic good arsenic present immoderate steadfast Benefit-in-Kind savings for institution car users. Now astir each premium subordinate (and upmarket wannabe) has 1 of these models connected their books, but to marque things easier we’ve picked retired 10 of the champion for you.

1. Range Rover Sport

Many brands person tried to musculus successful connected this progressively crowded country of the market, but nary has yet managed to depose the king of luxury SUVs: the Range Rover. In this lawsuit it’s the one-rung-from-top Sport, which objectively speaking is simply a fractionally much implicit and compelling acquisition than its fractionally larger and overmuch pricier large brother.

Now successful its 3rd generation, the Range Rover Sport does a good occupation of pitching for the rubric of ‘every car you’ll ever need’. A worldly richness that befits its luxury billing is expected, arsenic is the imperious off-road quality and loping on-road comfort. The abstraction and seven-seat versatility is besides a transportation implicit from its highly palmy predecessor. Less expected successful the astonishing dynamism that makes the Sport consciousness acold much fleet-footed than its immense exterior dimensions would suggest. This is achieved successful nary tiny portion by the optional anti-roll aerial suspension and four-wheel steering option, the aboriginal giving a existent boost successful agility.

It's built connected the aforesaid MLA-Flex level arsenic the afloat abdominous Rangie, which means it offers a implicit catalogue of abilities, and portion it’s not rather arsenic ample oregon arsenic spacious arsenic its bigger sibling, the Range Rover Sport much than makes up for it with its singular breadth of talent. Then there’s the first-rate compartment richness, refinement and luxury ambience, portion Land Rover's latest 13.1-inch Pivi Pro infotainment yet gives the marque the onboard tech to rival the best.

The car's roster of qualities is surely 1 for which Land Rover charges a tidy premium, adjacent implicit prices emblematic of this rarefied class; though Land Rover softens the stroke for immoderate with the Range Rover Sport's P460e and P550e plug-in hybrid powertrain that battalion a claimed 76 miles of EV range, which for fleet users means a Benefit successful Kind standing of conscionable 5%. Land Rover's latest six-cylinder Ingenium petrol- and diesel engines besides feature, with the D300 and D350 mild-hybrid diesel options serving a compelling blend of parsimony, gait and peace. For those little fussed astir substance depletion there's BMW-sourced 4.4-litre V8 that packs a 523bhp punch successful its modular guise oregon a hammer-blow 626bhp successful the caller SV flagship.

The kerbweight indispensable to supply the Range Rover Sport's offroad quality doesn't dilute its on-road prowess either, particularly erstwhile kitted retired with the optional Stormer Handling battalion that comprises four-wheel steering, progressive anti-roll bars and instrumentality torque vectoring diffs. This is inactive a large car, but it tin beryllium hustled hard.

Even so, to thrust 1 of these cars is to rapidly realise that immoderate prices are worthy paying. The Range Rover Sport truly does it all, and whitethorn good beryllium each the luxury SUV you'll ever privation oregon need.

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2. Audi Q8 e-tron Quattro

The gait of improvement of the luxury electrical car is thing to behold close now. Five oregon truthful years ago, an all-electric enactment would hardly person threatened to get to the apical of this list; but contiguous the inherent qualities of electrified propulsion are truly being brought to carnivore by the precise champion luxury EVs connected the market, and determination tin beryllium nary uncertainty that the Audi E-tron Quattro is 1 of them.

Launched successful 2018, the e-tron was treated to a mid-life refresh (and sanction change, becoming the Q8 E-tron) astatine the precise extremity of 2022. Subtle sharper looks are the astir evident alteration connected the inside, portion the artillery capableness has been upped to 89kWh successful the introduction level 50 exemplary and 106kWh for the 55 and sportier SQ8 variants. The accelerated charging bounds has besides been raised to 170kW, though this inactive trails those rivals with 800V hardware that tin beryllium replenished astatine up to 350kW

In each different respects it's the aforesaid arsenic the aged car, which means you get plentifulness of luxury, perceived quality, comfortableness and refinement. As before, it offers the interior rider abstraction of a Q7 and the quiet, responsive, urgent performance. But it's the car's thrust isolation and wide sound suppression that impressment most; factors which marque it, successful immoderate ways, much comparable with a Rolls-Royce Phantom connected the determination than a emblematic large 4x4.

Real-world scope is thing a drawback; Audi claims 330 miles for the car successful 55-badged derivative form, but it works retired astatine much similar 230- to 250 miles successful mixed real-world usage - which isn't overmuch for an EV of this price, and isn't apt to beryllium capable to marque a large galore owners and drivers wholly comfy connected longer journeys. Audi besides offers a shorter-range, little powered version, the Q8 E-tron 50, for which is claimed a usable scope of up to 281 miles; the somewhat sleeker-looking Q8 E-tron Sportback; and the range-topping SQ8 E-tron, which stops lone conscionable abbreviated of 500 horsepower and offers clever asymmetrical torque-vectoring to boot.

If not for that constricted range, and a flimsy deficiency of SUV-typical offroad quality and inferior value, it would person been hard to contradict this car apical spot successful this chart.

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3. Land Rover Discovery

The 2nd podium for Land Rover successful the luxury SUV conception is delivered by a car whose quality differs starkly from that of the car above, but whitethorn beryllium each the much appealing to you for its comparative deficiency of machismo: the fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery. That said, don’t mistake it's much workaday remit with immoderate simplification successful luxury vibes - immoderate proprietor of a five-year aged Range Rover stepping into a Disco would consciousness similar they've been upgraded.

It's a car of arguable but rugged styling, with off-road quality that fewer successful the people could beat, and with a little to supply functional, understated, comfy luxury and versatility connected the roadworthy - and that succeeds astatine that task with likable ease. Seven usable seats are inside, and erstwhile you're driving you'll person a large clip due to the fact that this is arsenic comfy a cruiser arsenic galore traditional, saloon-shaped luxury cars.

With specified size and weight, though, comes sizeable thirst, truthful the Discovery is not a inexpensive car to run, partially due to the fact that the motor scope isn't arsenic fulsome arsenic that of the Range Rover Sport, including arsenic it does four- and six-cylinder diesel options and a four-cylinder petrol but nary plug-in hybrids (adding the petrol-electric centrifugal would person necessitated the removal of the 3rd enactment seats, somewhat undermining the car’s inferior schtick). 

The Discovery isn't accelerated nor peculiarly dynamic successful its handling. In our view, however, a large 4x4 needn't be, oregon do, overmuch much than this successful bid to gain its spot successful your esteem and your affections - and the Discovery surely does the latter. In fact, if you don’t request the presumption enhancement that’s inferred by the Range Rover tag, past the Disco is arguably the astir implicit merchandise successful the brand’s line-up.  

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4. Porsche Cayenne

The car that saved Porsche entered its 3rd exemplary procreation successful 2018 and, successful doing so, eased retired its VW Group level buddy, the Audi Q7, for a spot astatine the crisp extremity of this people ranking.

The latest Cayenne isn't rather the driver's car we've each travel to know, and that galore of america came to begrudgingly respect aft taking truthful powerfully against what the car seemed to correspond successful its archetypal iteration backmost successful 2002. Because Porsche is inactive Porsche; it inactive makes the precise champion sports cars successful the world, acknowledgment successful nary tiny portion to a concern that's present built connected the commercialized bedrock of luxury SUVs.

The Cayenne successful its existent signifier is plainly a car that's contented to permission the sports car impressions to its small sibling the Macan, and alternatively to play the high-quality, luxury SUV with greater absorption than immoderate of its forebears have. It inactive delivers operator entreaty that's distinguishing, if not rather outstanding.

The Cayenne's interior is 1 of breath-taking quality, its thrust refinement gives distant astir thing to the astir comfy successful the class, and its show is arsenic beardown arsenic ever, backed by a scope of engines that whitethorn nary longer see a diesel, but that does see an awesome brace of plug-in hybrids, a turbo V6 and a turbo V8 petrol. 

There's present adjacent the much rakish Cayenne Coupe, should the (already beauteous decidedly unboxy) regular Cayenne someway not look desirable oregon peculiar enough. Then there's the chaotic GT, which infuses the large SUV with immoderate genuine 911 GT3 operator entreaty and holds bragging rights arsenic the fastest SUV astir the Nurburgring.

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5. BMW X5

The fourth-generation of Munich''s full-sized has been treated to a mid-life refresh, but specified were the abilities of the aged car it’s arguable that nary specified nip-and-tuck were needed. In fairness, BMW has kept the updates simple, with revised looks beforehand and rear, much tech connected the wrong and immoderate mildly enhanced engines that, of course, harvester greater show with enhanced efficiency.

Even so, 20 years connected from the archetypal mentation that played a large portion of successful redefining this portion of the luxury car market, the look remains the same. Essentially, BMW deed connected a powerfully appealing concept: that of the sporting SUV with arsenic overmuch space, versatility and 4x4 capableness arsenic galore needed – but not capable to dull its dynamic edge.

The latest car is smaller and little than galore of its rivals, with a much saloon-like recumbent driving position. However it gives small distant successful luxury ambience, with a affluent and expensively finished compartment that’s been improved by the summation of the brand’s present accepted curved surface for the instrumentality clump and infotainment. There’s a sizeable footwear too. And the enactment of 7 seats.

But it's the X5's driving acquisition that's inactive astir apt to enslaved you with the car, peculiar if a ample 4x4 is the car you request but not the 1 you needfully want. Pacy steering, bully assemblage control, well-balanced grip levels and reasonably crisp and incisive handling effect marque this grip arsenic overmuch similar a household property car arsenic an SUV, portion strong, creaseless and refined engines supply each the show you're apt to want.

Other SUVs connection much worldly richness still, arsenic good arsenic much space, comfortableness and 4x4 capability; and that's to accidental thing of the X5's styling which, acknowledgment to that oversized kidney grille, has attracted immoderate high-profile criticism. Still, for keen drivers, the X5 volition ever merit adjacent consideration; and, acknowledgment to the awesome '50e' plug-in hybrid version, for tax-savvy fleet drivers likewise.

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6. Audi Q7

The Q7 is simply a desirable, polished SUV with a existent aura of accomplishment. Huge inside, with high-quality materials and a precise precocious level of refinement and mechanical isolation, it whitethorn beryllium the embodiment of everything you privation successful a modern upmarket household car – peculiarly if you see cars similar this the modern manifestation of luxury successful automotive form.

The downsides? In emblematic Audi fashion, the Q7 feels rather distant to drive, handles successful grippy and effectual but uninvolving fashion, and is simply a small abbreviated connected the charisma that different cars successful this people person successful abundance. Then again, there's ever the related, 592bhp Audi RS Q8, which addresses that quality shortage beauteous directly. However, the Q7 is astatine its champion erstwhile oiling on successful a creaseless and unflustered manner, its modular aerial springs soothing advancement and its fantabulous refinement keeping agelong haul headaches astatine bay. As a result, it's champion suited to the muscular V6 diesel options, peculiarly the 286bhp 50 TDI - though institution car users volition similar the taxation savings offered by the plug-in 55 TFSIe.

Overall, the Q7 is potent and efficient, portion an important facelift successful 2019 upgraded the interior with the infotainment kit you'll find successful different large Audis. With pricing that's rather competitory and on-road show escaped of galore of the accustomed SUV compromises, it's small wonderment that the large Audi remains truthful popular.

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7. Mercedes-Benz GLE

Mercedes-Benz has redoubled its committedness to the luxury SUV marketplace by investing successful a caller conveyance platform, and by making the archetypal exemplary to usage it – the fourth-generation GLE (predecessors of which utilized to beryllium known arsenic the ML-Class) – a spot of a technological pioneer.

Having grown successful size considerably compared with the aged GLE, the caller 1 has a much rigid mixed-metal assemblage structure, too. It offers considerably much abstraction for second- and third-row passengers (the seven-seat enactment isn't disposable with the plug-in hybrid) than its predecessor, and what Mercedes bills arsenic a markedly much upmarket luxury ambience successful each seats. The car uses Mercedes' latest MBUX infotainment strategy and dual widescreen instrumentality and Comand controls displays, but besides gets a giant-sized head-up show with improved show functionality.

Engine options see a trio of four- and six-cylinder turbo diesels with up to 325bhp, arsenic good arsenic a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol which, successful the GLE 450, makes 362bhp and 369lb ft successful the existent range-topping option. For suspension, meanwhile, you tin take betwixt alloy coil suspension and a 48-volt progressive aerial suspension strategy that uses stereo cameras to work the roadworthy aboveground up and prepares the suspension for what it's astir to brushwood successful advance.

The GLE 450 impresses with its refinement, show and thrust comfort, but the four-pot GLE 300d is notably shorter connected mechanical isolation and thrust sophistication. In the mediate is the GLE 400d with its straight-six diesel that astir matches the large petrol for gait and refinement yet is hardly immoderate little businesslike successful the existent satellite than the smaller 300d. Then there's the GLE 350 de diesel plug-in hybrid that promises to beryllium a fashionable high-end fleet enactment acknowledgment to an awesome electric-only scope of implicit 60 miles, which drops it into the 8% BiK bracket for institution car users.

If comfort, refinement, luxury and practicality are your priorities, past the GLE is worthy a look.

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8. Volvo XC90

Volvo's renaissance pursuing Ford ownership started with the XC90 - a genuine seven-seater with comfortableness and handling connected its side, a decent scope of engines including a T8 401bhp plug-in hybrid, arsenic good arsenic an abundance of style.

It's different car that sits straight successful the mediate of the luxury SUV terms spectrum. The interior features a premix of luxury touches and not-so-luxury plastics successful places, portion less-than-perfect motor refinement and infotainment usability niggles guarantee the XC90 stops conscionable abbreviated of greatness. Nonetheless Volvo made worthwhile improvements to the car's motor scope erstwhile it replaced the D5 diesel with a caller mild-hybrid B5 enactment successful 2019. Better still, a mates of years aboriginal the plug-in T8 was treated to a larger 18.8 kWh thrust battery, upping its claimed EV scope to 44 miles portion simultaneously dropping its BiK banding from 12 to 8%.

But a spot successful the bosom of a hotly contested, marquee people similar this won't disappoint a institution inactive successful the aboriginal days of its latest ownership epoch. Volvo is simply a institution connected the up, and the existent XC90 was the archetypal merchandise to truthful convincingly beryllium however superior the marque was astir its determination upmarket. Even present astir a decennary aft it launched, the large Swede inactive has the style, abstraction and swagger to chopped it successful this exalted company.

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9. Range Rover Velar

The Range Rover Velar is Land Rover's astir road-biased SUV yet, with looks taken consecutive from those of the conception car of the aforesaid name, an interior that puts astir others to shame with its richness successful some materials and technology, and a exemplary level adapted from 1 chiefly developed for its radical spouse marque Jaguar (that’ll beryllium be the F-Pace).

On the roadworthy it's each spot arsenic bully to thrust arsenic it is to simply admire, with ride, refinement, show and handling precision each spot arsenic bully arsenic immoderate car successful the people - provided you don't skimp connected cylinder number erstwhile you specify your car. Four-cylinder engines are overmuch poorer than the sixes, portion the plug-in lacks the pace, refinement and EV scope of the newer Range Rover and Range Rover Sport - concern users volition beryllium facing a 12% BiK rate, alternatively than the 8% of the fuller abdominous Rangies.

Practicality and disconnected roadworthy quality aren't rather up to the standards of Land Rover's different cars successful this people either, but the second is boosted considerably if you enactment height-adjustable aerial suspension. Even so, the Velar volition task overmuch further into the unsmooth worldly than astir non Land Rover-branded rivals, assuming you’re consenting to hazard the muddy slings and arrows of harm that tin travel with a spot of greenish laning. 

Prices commencement reasonably debased but it's worthy stretching to the amended engines successful the range, albeit possibly not Range Rover's upper-echelon trim levels, to get the champion car. At its worst, the Velar tin beryllium a reasonably mean car to drive: but astatine its best, it's rather something. That said, the accomplishment of all-new versions of the Range Rover and Sport permission the Velar facing thing of an existential situation fixed that some these machines person superior powertrains and present springiness thing distant successful handling elan.

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10. Genesis GV80

It's a spot reductive to accidental so, but if you fancy a Bentley Bentayga for a fraction of the terms past the Genesis GV80 is arsenic adjacent arsenic it gets. From its bold, bluff-fronted looks done to its richly luxurious interior and likewise be-winged badge, the Korean upstart does a bully occupation astatine being a facsimile astatine a fraction of the cost.

Okay, truthful the comparisons lone basal up loosely, but determination is simply a batch to similar successful the GV80, which was the archetypal exemplary from Hyundai's premium marque to get connected European shores. The Genesis is surely imposing, portion wrong its roomy and has a acceptable and decorativeness that makes established players astatine this extremity of the marketplace beryllium up and instrumentality notice. Soft quilted leather covers the seats, portion everything you spot and interaction feels a chopped above. It's besides crammed with state-of-the-art tech and has each the TFT displays and touchscreen infotainment you could want. Then there's the mode the car is sold and spannered, with a concierge work that aims to marque beingness arsenic painless arsenic possible.

So what's the catch? Well, portion the GV80 looks and feels the part, it conscionable struggles to present dynamically. It handles accurately enough, portion the 3.0-litre diesel is simply a creaseless and beardown performer, but the four-cylinder petrol is strained erstwhile extended, the large controls are lifeless and the debased velocity thrust is excessively lumpy to beryllium genuinely luxurious. And the deficiency of immoderate electrified enactment is funny for specified a caller look to the assemblage - though the brand’s accelerated adoption of EV exertion elsewhere successful the scope suggests you won’t person to hold agelong for a battery-backed GV80.

However, if you're keen to debar the accustomed suspects, past the GV80's benignant and astonishing consciousness of juncture marque it a worthwhile summation to your SUV buying list.