www.hotcars.com 17 SUVs You Didn't Know Could Go 0 To 60 In Less Than 5 Seconds

SUVs and terrain vehicles, in general, are produced to help people transport huge weights over all types of terrain. When the first SUVs started emerging in 1935, they found their use mostly in the military. And this is exactly the perception most people have about SUVs - great for off-road, massive, all-around bulky, high-riding stances, and not very impressive performances. This however changed in recent years. Car manufacturers recognized the change in consumer demands. Therefore, a modern SUV has evolved into a sporty and luxury vehicle, one that you can take on long rides and have a pleasant city-riding experience. The only drawback is a usually awful fuel economy. Most of the fastest SUVs are crossovers, not pure terrain vehicles. Therefore, they usually have a bad off-road capability.

Updated March 2022: Since the advent of the sports SUV in the 2000s, the segment has been churning out increasingly faster models every year. Today, lightning-fast SUVs are commonplace, and many can outperform real sports cars. So, we've updated this list with even more incredible performance SUVs that can reach 60 mph faster than a Mustang—in under 5 seconds.

This article is about the fastest SUVs in the market. I consider myself a car fanatic. Yet, we were surprised to find out just how many SUVs are going from 0 to 60 in less than 5 seconds. This is a remarkable performance for terrain vehicles. However, this shouldn't come as a total surprise. Some of the most well-known supercar manufacturers like Lamborghini and Porsche entered this market in recent years, and Ferrari will too in the foreseeable future.

17Lamborghini Urus

For the first time since 1986 with Lamborghini's LM002, the Italian supercar brand is entering the SUV market again. The Urus has a unique but recognizable Lamborghini design. Lamborghini is owned by Audi, so Urus is built on an Audi Q7/Q8 platform. The engine is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that develops 650 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. Like most SUVs, it's all-wheel-drive and comes with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. All this provides a record-breaking acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. Inside, you can expect a crazy design and a lot of high-tech. The Urus also offers a great number of driver-assistance systems. "Lamborghini" is a synonym for "supercars" and now, "super SUVs" as well.

Related: Here's What The 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Costs Today

16Mercedes-AMG GLA 45

This slick and nimble crossover SUV from Mercedes can compete with any performance SUV. GLA 45 is a small brother of the Mercedes GLC 63 AMG. The Mercedes GLA 45 feels more like a hatchback than an SUV. Under the hood, you can find a 2.0-liter turbo petrol engine producing 382 hp. An eight-speed dual-clutch box helps you in accelerating this Mercedes-AMG from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds. GLA 45 has a four-wheel drive, and its height is raised. Handling is fun and smooth. Some updates, like high-performance braking, are responsible for that. Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 also offers a huge range of gadgets.

15BMW X6 M Competition

The new BMW X6 M Competition combines a typical M Performance driving experience with the flexibility of an X model. A fierce M TwinPower Turbo 8-cylindric 4.4-liter petrol engine gives the power of 617 hp. All this concentrated power is translated smoothly to the road thanks to the BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system. An eight-speed automatic transmission is also there to help the driver to put down all its power. All this makes X6 M Competition accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. Comfort and quality of design are qualities you expect from BMW. However, the BMW X6 is a crossover, not a pure SUV. It's best suited for city driving. In addition, this model isn't so bad when it comes to fuel efficiency.

14Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat

Dodge, as a company, was always unique. They have their own style, which is the loud and big engine on old-fashioned muscle cars. When it comes to SUV vehicles, they don't care about the small crossover SUVs or 'save the environment trends. The new Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is a classic three-row crossover that features a 6.2-liter V8 engine capable of producing 710 hp. Despite being one of the heaviest vehicles in its class, the Durango can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. No luxury SUV can offer anything similar to that. As expected, with a V8 engine and being so heavy, the fuel efficiency of the Durango is excruciatingly bad. But Dodge still made a great sporty and also family-friendly SUV, it's a shame it's been discontinued.

13Rezvani Tank

Rezvani is a small company founded by Ferris Rezvani. They specialize in creating crazy vehicles, like their literal tank, the Rezvani which is based on a Jeep Wrangler. It looks like something a Bond villain would drive. The engine that powers this beast is a 6.4-liter Fiat Chrysler V8, and you can find one in the Dodge Challenger and the Durango too. There are no official data, but acceleration should be similar to that of the Dodge Durango Hellcat since the Rezvani Tank has a similar four-wheel-drive system, but it's also a fantastic off-road vehicle. There's a lot of high-tech to help you as well; the most interesting being the FLIR-sourced infrared camera for driving at night.

Related: 10 Cool Facts About Rezvani And Their Incredible Cars

12Aston Martin DBX 707

One of the most recent supercar manufacturers to join the SUV trend is Aston Martin, and their large family-friendly SUV is called the DBX, and they have recently unveiled its hottest version yet, the 707. It doesn’t produce 707 hp as you might have expected, but rather 707 metric horsepower, or 697 hp in normal people's terms from its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. As you might have guessed, it's blisteringly fast from still to 60 mph (3.3 seconds), but its top speed is the performance figure you'll pay even extra attention to.

Related: Aston Martin DBX 707 Vs Lamborghini Urus Drag Race

11Mercedes-AMG GL63 S Coupe

When you buy a Mercedes, you expect great performance with exceptional luxury. And Mercedes delivers that even in the SUV category. The Mercedes-Benz GLE 63 S is a combination of coupe styling of a sports car and the exterior dimensions of an SUV. Despite the weight, Mercedes managed to create an incredibly powerful and sporty SUV. The engine that powers this beast is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. It has 603 hp and is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. The GLE 63 S Coupe has an all-wheel-drive system and many high-tech features, as well as great suspension, soft steering, and adaptive braking.

10Toyota Land Speed Cruiser

Toyota isn't famous for producing fun and engaging vehicles, and that is especially not expected from their biggest SUV. But it happened. The Toyota Land Speed Cruiser is officially the fastest SUV in the world which isn't mass-produced. Confirmation came after a former Nascar driver, Carl Edwards drove it on Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The Toyota Land Speed Cruiser achieved a top speed of 230.02 mph, this is faster than most supercars. What blasted off this crazy SUV was a 5.7-liter V8 engine with two turbochargers which resulted in this engine's ridiculous 2,000-plus horsepower. Sadly, we can only buy the regular Land Cruiser. Of course, everyone willing to spend an extra $100,000 can modify this SUV to the Speed Cruiser's performance.

9Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

The Grand Cherokee is very simple in its design; just slightly better looking than a box on wheels. When it comes to performance, this car is very American. The Grand Cherokee has a powerful engine, goes pretty fast in a straight line but isn't great when it comes to cornering. Its powerful engine is a 707 hp 6.2-liter eight-cylinder HEMI taken from a Dodge Challenger. This mighty engine propels the Trackhawk from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds since it's equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system. On the other hand, to tame this power, you have massive Brembo brakes at your disposal. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a cheap option for a sporty SUV. Considering its price, it offers good comfort and a good equipment package, alongside awesome performance.

8Maserati Levante Trofeo

Maserati is another legendary sports car manufacturer trying its luck in the growing SUV market. The Levante is built on a Quattroporte and Ghibli platform, therefore it's continuing this trend of offering great-looking, sporty, and semi-luxurious cars. When it comes to performance, the Levante is impressive, but not surprising. The most powerful Trofeo version has a Ferrari's 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged engine that produces 580 hp and is also capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. Handling is smooth and precise with soft steering. This isn't an SUV you can drive just on the street. Surprisingly, the off-road capability of the Levante isn't that bad. The Levante is a good first effort for Maserati, and they'll soon be bringing more SUVs to their model line-up.

7Range Rover Sport SVR

Range Rover is probably the most legendary SUV maker in the world. It's simplistic in its design, and incredibly capable on any kind of surface. Range Rover themselves are aware of their reputation, so their vehicles have always been incredibly expensive, and the SVR is no exception. The Range Rover Sport SVR has a 5.0-liter eight-cylinder engine that produces 510 hp, and it's just as thirsty as it is powerful. Like most SUVs, it has a full four-wheel-drive system, but still features handling characteristics among the best in the class. Its brakes aren't as big as those of most SUVs but are incredibly good, and as a result, it set out Exceptional lap times at the Nurburgring with its fastest time being 8 minutes and 14 seconds.

6Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

Alfa Romeo is another surprising name in the SUV market, and its first offering is the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. This SUV is built on the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio's platform and has a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that produces 505 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. It also has an eight-speed auto gearbox and four-wheel drive, all this power makes Stelvio one of the fastest SUVs in the world with an acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. The Stelvio's biggest selling point is that it's lighter than most SUVs. Therefore, handling is fast and agile. Its brakes can be a little inconsistent, but they give a great stopping power. Like every Alfa, the Stelvio looks fantastic from the outside and the inside. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is a great crossover SUV that tries, as much as possible, to give you a sports car driving feel in an SUV.

5Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT

The Cayenne is Porsche's premier SUV model and this year, we got the new version of a car that shocked Porsche fans back in 2002. The Cayenne Turbo GT is one of the fastest SUVs in the world but also one of the priciest as well. Any sports car would have a hard time trying to outpace the Cayenne. The engine responsible for its Nurburgring lap time of 7:38.925 is a Porsche twin-turbo, eight-cylinder that has 631 hp. The Cayenne accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. Handling is superb, thanks to the eight-speed automatic transmission, the smooth steering, and the adjustable suspension system. The Porsche Cayenne could be the best full-size SUV you can buy today.

Related: 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT: Costs, Facts, And Figures

4Audi RS Q3

Audi presents an interesting high-performance SUV offering with the RS Q3. This is one of the smallest SUVs on the market. Being an Audi, it offers nice comfort and high-tech as well. The Audi RS Q3 has a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that produces 400 hp, handled by a seven-speed auto gearbox. The Audi Q3 has a standard-fit Quattro all-wheel-drive system., and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in around 4 seconds. The Q3's steering is hard, and you feel every bump in the road, so it's not as comfortable as other more expensive rivals. Nevertheless, the Q3 provides a good number of gadgets and boasts a fun driving experience.

3Tesla Model X Plaid

Electric car companies are winning customers fast and the SUV market is no exception. The Model X was created to appeal to customers through its body style and comfortably quiet ride. Tesla's Model X is an interesting take on a luxury SUV/crossover. Despite being a four-wheel drive, this is a strictly street SUV. Moreover, the acceleration the Model X is getting from its electric engine is astonishing. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds. Sadly, the Model X isn't all that fun to drive. Handling is good, but at higher speeds, you feel like you're driving a heavy SUV. Its price is also high, and like every electric vehicle, it's still not as practical as you'd hope.

Related: Drag Race: Lamborghini Urus vs Tesla Model X Plaid

2Bentley Bentayga Speed

Bentley is another supercar manufacturer that decided to venture into the SUV market. Their first effort called the Bentayga was a great start. It's a good-looking, refined, and superbly comfortable car; it even has good off-road ability. In the Speed variant, customers receive a powerful 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 that produces an astonishing 626 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. The easy-to-use eight-speed auto gearbox offers an acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Handling is smooth and stable, with the only problem being hard braking. It's strange to see a luxury car of this design in off-road conditions, but it's surprisingly capable in mud. However, its fuel economy and running costs are expectedly not that great.

1Bowler EXR-S

Bowler Motorsport is a small company from Derbyshire. They specialize in making racing and high-performance all-terrain vehicles and modify rally cars for commercial use... they're usually some of the best cars ever made (Lancia Stratos, Audi Quattro, Subaru Impreza, or Mitsubishi Lancer), and the Bowler EXR-S is no exception. People from Bowler made sure every component is the best possible. Under the hood is a supercharged and remapped 5.0-liter V-8 from the Range Rover Sport. It produces 550 horsepower and an estimated 700 pound-feet of torque. Bowler EXR-S is capable of going from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and its driving is incredibly “reactive,” thanks to its soft but firm suspension. The Bowler handles fantastically in off-road conditions... actually, there's no better SUV for off-road driving on the market. The only drawback is its high price and special-order status.