When Porsche and BMW first launched SUV models, it was inconceivable that sports car companies could ever be allowed to branch off without hurting their core brand. A few years later and models like the Cayenne Turbo and X5M changed the way we think about SUVs. Fast forward to today and the game has completely changed yet again. Lamborghini has finally taken the wraps off of its all-new SUV and in doing so has created what it calls the world's first Super Sports Utility Vehicle (SSUV). But is it really the world's first?
Lamborghini has done enough to place the Urus above and beyond the BMW Ms, Mercedes AMGs and Land Rover SVRs of the world. The Urus has 650 hp on tap from an Audi-derived 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. This gets the Urus up to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds, and on to a top speed of 191 mph. There's nothing that can compete with the Urus in terms of top speed, but there are a few other SUVs that we think belong in the SSUV category. There are also a few more upcoming SUVs from Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin which could compete in this category, but we'll have to wait and see how those turn out before we can compare them to the Urus.
The first SUV that we'd like to throw into the SSUV category is the internet sensation that has been taking down supercars in every drag race it's competed in. The Model X P100D is able to beat the Lamborghini Aventador off the line, so the Urus probably won't pose a threat in shorter drag races. The P100's dual motors add up to 603 hp and 713 lb-ft of torque and a 0-60 mph sprint time of just 2.9 seconds. The Tesla can defeat almost any car in the world in a straight line drag race, but show it a corner and we are sure that the other models on this list would leave it for dust. Still, the Model X P100D deserves to be included in the conversation.
Aside from the Model X, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is one of the only other SUVs on this list that can keep up with the Urus in a straight line. The Trackhawk actually makes more power than the Urus, 707 hp, thanks to a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that is borrowed from the Hellcat. That's enough to beat the Urus to 60 mph with a time of 3.5 seconds and complete the quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds, all while having a price tag that is around one third of the Lamborghini. The Urus might end up being a better performer on track, because the Grand Cherokee is basically a 1990s Mercedes ML underneath, but we wouldn't be shocked if the race was close.
Even though Lamborghini may claim that it has come out with the world's first SSUV, it may have been the Urus' stablemate, the Bentley Bentayga, that was truly first. It may not make as much power as the Urus, but the Bentayga has a more exotic 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12, which pumps out 600 hp. Before the Urus was revealed, this was the fastest SUV in the world, which is enough to put it on this list. On a track, the Bentayga would probably be one of the slowest , but who's going to take any of these SUVs to the track anyway? If we needed one of these SUVs to go highway blasting on the Autobahn, it would probably be the ultra-luxurious Bentley.
The final SUV on this list is also the least powerful. We have no doubt that the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio would soon be replaced on this list with one of the upcoming SUVs from Ferrari or Aston Martin. However, the Alfa Romeo currently holds the lap record for SUVs at the Nurburgring so is a worthy competitor to the Urus. The Stelvio was able to get around the Green Hell in 7:51.7, which is extremely impressive. The Urus may beat this time when it tackles the Ring, but for now the Stelvio is the SUV king.