13 Cool SUVs and Crossovers Even Gearheads Want to Own

Gearheads have a serious aversion towards SUVs and crossovers, and admittedly, there are some valid reasons why. A crossover is a compromise over a standard hatchback or sedan for a lot of reasons, and there are so many of them now that it’s become a question of how many rather than any at all. Even then, there are tons of crossovers and SUVs that even the most passionate gearheads would still like to own, but also some clunkers that you should definitely stay away from.

More and more automakers these days are offering performance versions of their crossovers and SUVs, and while they may not be able to match a hot hatchback or a performance sedan, they’re either cool, great fun, or both. We’ve gone through some of the most notable modern performance crossovers and SUVs, and no matter how much gearheads think they dislike crossovers, these are worthy of attention.

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

Jaguar will, sadly, discontinue the F-Pace globally, and the SVR version, in particular, makes us really sad about that. For the most part, the F-Pace was a solid entrant into the highly competitive premium SUV space, but the SVR dialed everything up to 11.

For one thing, it’s one of only a handful of performance SUVs that genuinely looks good, from its aero kit to the quad exhaust pipes. Those quad exhaust pipes are actually very necessary, as under the hood lives a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 putting out a thumping 567 hp. 

Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid w/ Turbo GT Package

Quite the long name, but then this is quite the car. For the most recent facelift of the Porsche Cayenne, Stuttgart decided to combine the Turbo GT’s handling prowess with the immense powertrain that the Cayenne e-Hybrid offers.

The end result is a Frankenstein SUV in the most Porsche way possible. It has all the track capability of the regular Turbo GT, but it has even more power: 729 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque, to be precise. We’re living in a world where a Porsche Cayenne has more power than the original Lambo Aventador, to this day one of the best sounding cars of all time.

Porsche Macan GTS

While we’re on the topic of Porsche SUVs, the Cayenne’s little brother deserves some love, too. Although a new electric Macan is upon us, the gas-powered version does not deserve to be forgotten. The GTS is currently the ultimate version of the ICE Macan, and it’s quite the machine.

Under the hood is a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 putting out 434 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque, making this an SUV with a 0-60 time of less than four seconds. It also sounds sweet, and even though it’s a crossover, it’s still a Porsche with Porsche driving dynamics.

Toyota Land Cruiser (250)

Despite pulling the plug on the Land Cruiser nameplate in North America, Toyota has recently revived the Land Cruiser. While it is a little smaller than the current 300 series, it is based on the same platform and promises the same impressive capability.

In North America, the 250 Series Land Cruiser comes standard with a 2.4-liter hybrid four-cylinder, permanent four-wheel drive, and optional locking differentials. It may be smaller, but it can definitely keep up with its big brother in terms of capability, and it’s proven to run well past 250,000 miles.

Cadillac Escalade V-Series

We’re surprised that it took GM so long to make this happen, but we’re glad it happened. The current generation Cadillac Escalade is finally available in V form, or V-Series in this case. While Dodge has taken the Hellcats away from us, Cadillac is still letting this supercharged SUV fire burn.

Under the hood of the Escalade V-Series is a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, similar to the CT5-V Blackwing’s powertrain. A massive 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque are dispatched to the wheels. It might be massive, but the Escalade V-Series is also massive fun.

Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat

Speaking of Hellcats, one of many discontinued iconic cars, we can’t forget about what is easily the craziest SUV Dodge has ever put out. The Durango SRT Hellcat debuted back in 2021, and it’s exactly what it says on the tin: it’s a three-row SUV with a supercharged V8.

The supercharged V8 displaces 6.2 liters and dispatches 710 hp to all four wheels. That means it has three more hp than the original Challenger Hellcat from 2015. The fuel economy was basically non-existent, but if your children are told that their parent’s car is slow, it’ll be very easy to quickly disprove that.

Range Rover Sport SV

The current crop of Land Rover products is super desirable, and the Range Rover Sport definitely falls under that category. No expenses were spared regarding the design, interior quality, or driving dynamics.

As befits a car with a Sport moniker, a performance version in the form of the SV was in order. The BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 has been dialed up to 626 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, and well, when was the last time you heard of an SUV with optional carbon fiber wheels?

Subaru Forester STI

For the second generation of the Forester, Subaru decided to spruce it up with an STI version. The Impreza WRX STI donated its 265 hp 2.5-liter turbo boxer, along with the six-speed manual transmission.

All of that wrapped up in a much more practical body that resembles a boxy station wagon more than an SUV, in the best way possible. The Forester STI is still forbidden fruit, as it was only available in Japan. 

Volkswagen Touareg R

Let’s say you wanted a Bentley Bentayga, a Lamborghini Urus, or even a Porsche Cayenne, but you wanted it all to be much more affordable and more subtle. That’s where the Volkswagen Touareg comes in. It’s based on the same architecture as all of the above, but it’s subtler and less shouty about how much money you made through crypto investments or livestreaming.

The R is the top-of-the-line version, powered by a plug-in hybrid turbo V6 engine with a total output of 455 hp. Shame that American gearheads still can’t have it.

Cupra Formentor VZ5

A few years ago, Seat spun off its Cupra performance arm into a separate, more premium brand, and it’s proven very successful. The Formentor, the first dedicated model from the brand, is just a sporty crossover at its core.

However, the limited edition VZ5 is a different story. Instead of a turbo four-cylinder under the hood, the Formentor VZ5 gets the turbocharged 2.5-liter I5 from the Audi RS3. That means five-cylinder noises and over 400 hp. 

Ford Puma ST

What happens when a Ford Fiesta-based crossover inherits the brilliant Fiesta ST’s entire powertrain wholesale? The Puma ST. While the recent facelift nerfed the power and axed the manual transmission, the pre-facelift is quite a lovely thing.

A 200 hp turbo three-pot, FWD, a six-speed manual, all of it wrapped up in a cutesy but also purposeful exterior. As you’d expect from a car with so much in common with the Fiesta ST, it’s a total blast.

Dacia Duster

Good news! Okay, you’ve heard that James May Top Gear reference a million times before. Dacia recently released the third generation Duster, and it revitalizes the core values of the world-famous crossover that were first laid all the way back in 2009.

It may now have electrified powertrains and much more technology, but it’s still a boxy, affordable SUV with available 4WD and a focus on sustainability and affordability. There’s no getting around it: the new Duster is a cool little crossover, and we’re sad we can’t have it.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

Finally, we arrive at an oldie, but a goldie. The Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio has been around since 2017 in North America, and while it may be getting on a bit now, it’s still worthy of all the respect and praise it gets.

Borrowing the 2.9-liter, 505 hp turbo V6 from the Giulia, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is attractive and practical but also immensely good to drive. It’s sad that Alfa is struggling to get these off the lot, because in terms of left-field performance SUVs, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is fantastic.