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While the SUV was originally designed for off-roading, most of the current models on sale will probably never see a dirt trail.
Lifted versions of normal cars were originally designed to tackle the great outdoors and offer some off-roading capabilities to make life a bit easier. This was the thinking behind one of the original SUV-type vehicles, the Jeep Wagoneer.
In modern times, the SUV has taken a different route and has become a highly desirable type of vehicle – one which offers lots of space, more safety and a higher ride height, enabling the driver to see better. Unfortunately, these cars are rarely taken off the beaten path. Manufacturers have noticed this and have built SUVs which rival sports cars and some lower-end supercars thanks to their ferocious power outputs. SUVs such as the Aston Martin DBX, Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the new Ferrari Purosangue, all have off-road modes and are capable of driving in the mud and ruts, but they are more designed to conquer the concrete jungle rather than the actual jungle. Another aspect of these cars, which rarely sees them going off-road, is the fact that they are quite expensive to purchase and maintain.
So, while the SUV was originally designed to conquer the great outdoors, most of the current models on sale will probably never see a dirt trail. With that, here are ten of the most awesome SUVs which will most likely never see any sort of off-roading.
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The Aston Martin DBX707 is a relatively new addition to the fast SUV segment, but has arrived with a bang. Unlike the normal DBX, the 707 features Dodge Durango Hellcat levels of performance, all while keeping the passengers swathed in luxurious leather and metal. The 707 also gains a launch-control system, which the normal DBX lacks – for some reason.
The DBX707 may have some off-road modes which enable it to do the dirt path stuff, but it is very much designed to travel on the smooth tarmac at an incredible speed. Think of it as a 4-door grand tourer limousine, but with the body of an SUV – almost exactly like the Bentley Bentayga, just sportier.
Speaking of which, the Bentayga is probably the closest rival to the Aston Martin in terms of performance and sportiness, even though the Bentley is more focused on luxury – but not as much as the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. The Bentayga is a good middle ground, offering enough power to restart the rotation of a small moon if necessary.
The Bentayga Speed is the top-of-the-line trim, featuring an uprated version of the famous 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 found in the Continental and Flying Spur. The engine delivers smooth power on the road, but will have ample torque to handle the great outdoors – if the owner dares to take their $260,000+ luxo-SUV off the road that is.
The Lamborghini Urus is the direct result of the booming SUV trend, and the Raging Bull didn’t want to be left out. So far, the Urus has been a hit and will probably continue to be a hit as it is a practical and ridiculously rapid super-SUV.
The Urus is built on the same platform as the Bentley Bentayga – and a bunch of other VW products – so it shares its drivetrain with the V8 version. It is a shame there is no V10 or V12 in the Urus, but it can still out-drag the equivalent Audi RSQ8 – but only just. With it being such a road-focused vehicle, owners rarely take them off-road – even though the Urus has an off-road mode in its ‘Anima’ mode selector.
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The Range Rover is the king of the luxury off-roading SUV segment thanks to its class-leading terrain-response systems and clever gadgetry to keep it from tipping over on rocks or sinking in a river. While the new Range Rover still needs to be independently tested, the previous generation had a good workout during its production.
While the Range Rover has the best terrain systems, they are rarely driven off-road – with many not even leaving the limits of the city they are used in. Unfortunately, the most off-roading they do is climbing the occasional curb or driving up a steep driveway. Still a cool vehicle though.
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is the class leader in luxury. Rolls-Royce took their Phantom flagship and turned it into an SUV – rather logical and effective. As a result, the Cullinan is – hands down – the most comfortable SUV on the market.
While Rolls-Royce showed off the Cullinan’s capabilities off the paved road, few owners would actually drive their $350,000 (before options) SUV in the mud and over rocks. Interestingly, owners in the UK do use their Cullinans to drive on their estates, but those are mostly grass or dirt paths, which just leaves some dust to clean off afterwards.
The BMW X6 has never been particularly good at going off-road. The original X6 was solely designed to create a new niche within the automotive industry – which almost all automakers have copied – and to drive sales of the X-range up even further.
The X6 M is an even more on-road orientated vehicle which rivals the likes of the Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin DBX and Mercedes-Benz GLE63 AMG. Interestingly, the X6M is just as fast as the Lamborghini, all the while costing less than half the price.
The Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is the second creation from Porsche’s GT division – the same people who built the Carrera GT – and is currently one of the fastest production super-SUVs on the planet. What the GT division did, was taking a normal Cayenne Turbo S e-Hybrid and strip out all the hybrid parts. They then upped the engine output and gave it a nice exhaust.
The result is an SUV which has less power than the Turbo S e-Hybrid it started as, but with less weight and a higher top speed. The Cayenne Turbo GT can out-drag the Lamborghini Urus and BMW X6M, all while keeping the occupants cocooned in leather, Alcantara and glorious V8 noise. The suspension is also set up for road use with sticky sports tires as standard – not very off-road friendly.
The Mercedes-Maybach GLS600 is a glitzed-up GLS to compete with the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan. While it cannot come close to the Roller, it does a pretty good job of rivaling the Bentley. The interior has nicer leathers and more features than the standard GLS and the rear seats are fully adjustable reclining seats, offering a relaxed and luxurious experience.
While the Mercedes-Maybach GLS is a more luxury-orientated vehicle, it retains all the off-road modes of the standard GLS – including the hilarious bouncing to get it out of sand. Even so, it is a rare sight to see a GLS – Maybach or not – off the beaten path. Even just seeing one outside a city is quite uncommon.
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The Jaguar F-Pace is an interesting take on the SUV as the lowest model doesn’t even come with all-wheel-drive. The F-Pace is based on the same platform used in the Range Rover Velar but is definitely more on-road inclined than its Land Rover cousin.
The top-spec F-Pace SVR is the best version of the lot, featuring a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 and an exhaust sound loud enough to scare AMGs. The SVR truly is a fantastic vehicle, but would struggle when taken off-road due to its road tires and sporty suspension.
The newly unveiled Ferrari Purosangue is a beautiful piece of Italian design. The vehicle follows the same design language introduced with the Roma coupe and continues the trend of advanced technology which Ferraris of late have showcased. The Purosangue’s showpiece is, of course, the glorious 6.5-liter V12 underneath the gorgeous clamshell hood.
Interestingly, Ferrari had designed the Purosangue to look like an SUV – but also not. It is wide and long, but lower than a normal SUV would be, making it sporty and fast-looking. While it has the same all-wheel-drive system introduced in the FF and GTC4Lusso, it will probably not be the best off-roading vehicle on the market. Then again, why bother going off-road when you could listen to that V12 scream down a highway?
Michael De Kock is passionate about cars and everything from avocados to particle accelerators. He has studied psychology and knows a little bit about fixing cars (old Land Rovers mostly). He also blogs and has a book, 125 Creative Writing Prompts for Petrolheads, available on Amazon. His philosophy in life: Stop the hate - Adopt a V8.