The Lamborghini Urus finally debuted this week, and the captaincy in Italy is dubbing it, “The world’s first Super Sport Utility Vehicle.” No matter what buzzwords you use to describe high-performance SUVs though, the segment is absolutely buzzing in 2017. It’s truly astonishing just how many there are, especially when you consider the real world has no practical use for this type of rig. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Bentley, Tesla, Land Rover, Jeep, Porsche, and even Alfa Romeo make fast family-haulers these days, so while the Urus is undoubtedly special, it’s not the unicorn many are making it out to be.
The Urus’ twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 spits out 650 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, allowing the Italian SUV to hit 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. Flat out, Lambo says the $200,000 bombshell will do 190 mph, and those numbers make sports cars like the Porsche 911 Carrera T blush. There are other SUVs and crossovers that can compete with those figures though, and in some cases, they outright smash them. Here are five cars that make the exotic Urus look a little more ordinary.
Tesla Model X P100D
The Tesla Model X is notable for many reasons — zero-emission driving, unique features like Falcon Wing doors, and semiautonomous driving technology that gives us a hint at what the future could look like. It’s also lighnting on four wheels, as the range-topping P100D model does 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds. In acceleration tests, the instant torque you get from high-performance electric motors is almost unmatched.
The Model X is technically a a crossover due to its car-based platform, but given its size and speed, we’re including in here. Top speed is limited to 155 mph, though, so using that metric, the Model X is no match for the Italian Urus.
TechArt Porsche Cayenne Turbo S Magnum Sport
The Porsche Cayenne Turbo is an astounding SUV, and the upcoming 2019 model will be the quickest yet. With the optional Sport Chrono package and launch control, the Cayenne Turbo S will do 0 to 60 mph in an Urus-rivaling 3.7 seconds. German tuner TechArt makes a version that’s even more impressive, though.
TechArt’s Magnum Sport SUV is based on the the 2015 model year Cayenne, and instead of the 570 hp you get from Porsche, TechArt’s boffins squeezed 720 hp and 617 lb-ft out of the 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8. The results don’t help 0 to 60 mph all that much — the Magnum Sport is about as quick as the new Cayenne from a stop — but the extra grunt gives it a ludicrous top speed of 193 mph. The styling, however, is another thing altogether.
Bentley Bentayga
The Bentley Bentayga is one of the most ridiculous production vehicles of all time, and we mean that in a good way. The opulent SUV costs $229,100, it’s a beast off-road, and it offers the most expensive car option ever in the form of a $160,000 clock. Oh, it also makes 600 hp.
The official 0 to 60 mph time is a hair slower than the Urus’ at 4.0 seconds, but media outlets have measured it at 3.5 and 3.6 seconds in the real world. Top speed is a similarly impressive 187 mph, but it’s even crazier when you understand just how luxurious the Bentayga is. It has a quilted leather bench and a picnic set in the back complete with Linley china, for goodness’ sake.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
With a top speed of 180 mph, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk isn’t technically faster than the Lamborghini Urus, which has the highest top speed in the SUV game. That number doesn’t come into play for people who don’t have private runways in their backyards, though. By the way, if you do have one, give us a call. We want to be your friend.
In an acceleration contest, however, the Trackhawk is brutal. Despite its size, few cars can beat it from a dead stop, and that’s because of the pure, raw power afforded by its Hellcat-sourced 707-hp V8. Even better is how much cheaper the Trackhawk is. At $85,900, you could buy two Trackhawks for the price of the Urus and have some change left over for gas and tires — trust us, you’ll need extras.
What could possibly be better?
Hennessey Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk HPE1000
This thing is even better. Obviously based on the standard Trackhawk, the Hennessey version has been amped up by one of America’s most notable tuners, and the results are staggering. How’s 1,102 hp and 969 lb-ft sound? It also sprints to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and smashes the quarter-mile in around 10.5 ticks. We’d expect nothing less from Hennessey.
Getting that amount of power out of a 6.2-liter engine is more complex than simply cranking up the boost and hoping for the best. Hennessey has upgraded the supercharger system completely and added a high-flow air intake, long-tube headers, high-flow fuel injectors, and an HPE engine management system to keep the ratios in check. And yes, boost pressure has increased from 6.4 psi to 14 psi.
Not only does Hennessey Trackhawk beat the Urus in speed, it beats the Model X and just about every other vehicle on the road, period.
