4×4 Stars: The Best New SUVs For 2025
The world of high-end SUVs moves fast – and we’re not just talking 0–60 times. With new powertrains, bigger numbers and increasingly dramatic styling, staying on top of the latest and greatest luxury high-riders is no easy task. In 2025, that means hybrids are on the rise, EVs are muscling in, and yet the mighty V8 still rules the roost for many of the best.
Here’s our pick of the most exciting, powerful and indulgent premium SUVs of the year.
Aston Martin DBX S
There’s a new big-power option in town: Aston Martin’s flagship DBX S. Building on the DBX707, the new S aligns with the brand’s ‘S’ line of high-performance models – soon to be seen across its sports car range – and brings more power, sharper focus, and a host of technical upgrades.
Output now stands at a mighty 727hp and 900Nm of torque from the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8. It hits 62mph in just 3.3 seconds and tops out at 192mph. To complement the extra power, Aston offers a carbon fibre roof to reduce weight in the highest point of the car – more effective than glass and better for dynamics.
Visual tweaks include a new mesh grille, redesigned aerodynamically efficient bumpers, and lightweight 23-inch magnesium wheels. Few SUVs straddle the line between supercar and utility vehicle quite like the DBX – and never more so than in this new S guise.
Bentley Bentayga Speed
With the W12 now retired, Bentley needed a worthy replacement – and for the Bentayga Speed, it’s gone old school. Rather than a hybrid, the solution is a heavily reworked 4.0-litre V8 with bigger turbos and output raised to 650hp and 850Nm.
Despite weighing well over two tonnes, it’ll rocket from 0–62mph in 3.4 seconds and hit a 193mph top speed. Helping rein in that performance is a revised chassis with stiffer dampers, plus fresh 23-inch wheels and a subtly updated exterior including new bumpers and clear rear lamps.
A lightweight sports exhaust and signature quad oval tailpipes complete the package, giving the Bentayga a snarling new edge to go with its refreshed performance credentials.
Lamborghini Urus SE
At the other end of the SUV spectrum is Lamborghini’s new Urus SE, a model that’s now gone beyond just pure mechanical upgrades to produce its extreme power figure, pairing its V8 with a plug-in hybrid system. In this case, Lamborghini has been able to liberate 789bhp and 905Nm of torque from its combined e-motor and petrol engine, powering all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
As the most aggressive SUV on its respective platform, it also comes as standard with all the chassis hardware you could imagine – from an active anti-roll bar system, rear-wheel steering, a torque-vectoring rear differential, and even standard-fit carbon ceramic brakes.
Given the vast popularity of the previous model, it’s no surprise there aren’t too many changes to the styling. But look closely and you’ll see a slightly cleaner and more cohesive design, especially around the rear, where designers have placed the number plate on the lower bumper, opening up the bootlid to adopt a mesh grille inspired by the Gallardo LP560.
BMW XM Red Label
Another making use of a plug-in hybrid system is one of the most controversial BMW models in recent history – which says a lot, considering the German brand’s reputation for rocking the boat. The extroverted XM is one of those cars that doesn’t shy away from attention, but it caused its initial ruckus due to the fact it’s only the second bespoke M car in history.
To help emphasise that this was a forward-looking model, it was launched with two ultra-high-performance plug-in hybrid powertrain options, with the top-spec Red Label coming in at a cool 741bhp. The system combines a V8 engine with an e-motor mounted in the transmission, just like the new M5, but beat it to market by over two years – and still produces more power.
But it’s the XM’s design that continues to garner the most controversy. Using the massive X7 as a base, then chopping the roofline, it also brought with it many firsts for BMW, including an illuminated grille, 23-inch wheels, and new use of the iconic roundel in the upper left and right corners of the rear glass.
Defender OCTA
We’ve been waiting for an ultimate expression of the Defender, and finally Land Rover has dramatically answered the call. The OCTA is a high-speed off-roading specialist, with all the hallmarks of something more attuned to jumping dunes than car park kerbstones. It does this with a bespoke suspension setup that includes the clever 6D system introduced on the Range Rover Sport SV, only tuned to make the Defender even more capable off-road.
This is also the only Defender available with the new and much more powerful 626bhp 4.4-litre V8 engine, which produces more than enough power to motivate its 2.5-tonne mass at great speed.
Yet it’s the OCTA’s rugged looks and top-spec placement that will likely draw the most sales. With its wider wheels and suspension, Land Rover’s designers have pumped up the wheel arches and given the whole body a tougher, more aggressive stance.
Porsche Cayenne GTS
The Porsche Cayenne is often the first place you go for a high-performance SUV, and with good reason. Not only did Porsche initiate this whole game of fast SUVs that actually drive like performance cars, but it still gets very close to the top with its latest Cayenne – if you know where to look.
The heavily updated version of Porsche’s third-generation Cayenne has been steadily adopting hybrid powertrains across most of its models. However, there are still a few simpler, lighter and more engaging versions in the range. In our opinion, the most impressive is the Cayenne GTS, which, despite having a comparatively modest power figure of 493bhp, remains one of the best-driving SUVs on the market.
That’s because in place of heavy hybrid systems, the 4-litre V8 can breathe through its twin turbos without any electrical assistance – or the added weight that comes with it. The Cayenne GTS isn’t slow, either, reaching 62mph in 4.4 seconds and topping 170mph, giving you the purest Porsche Cayenne driving experience in the range.
Mercedes G 63 Manufaktur Edition
Any ultimate SUV list wouldn’t be complete without a Mercedes-AMG G 63. But rather than just resting on its laurels, AMG continues to integrate minor upgrades that make the package even more compelling. Many might consider the secret to the G 63’s success to be its style, or the thunderous V8 rumble from the side pipes – but ask any owner, and it’s likely the build quality that ranks highest of all.
That’s because, unlike all other Mercedes production models, the G 63 and its lesser G-Class variants are built in a dedicated factory in Austria, with cars assembled slowly, methodically, and with incredible care. Shut the door on a G 63 and it’ll need a proper slam to latch, sounding like a blast door in a bomb shelter in the process.
Given the G 63’s relative ubiquity in 2025, Mercedes has now expanded its Manufaktur programme, offering buyers the chance to select from around 30 exterior shades, with or without contrasting bumpers and roof, as well as a range of new wheel and interior options.
Built-to-order doesn’t always equate to ultimate personalisation, but in the case of Merc’s flagship G-Class, it truly does take the experience to another level.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge
Ask any Rolls-Royce representative and they’ll tell you the Cullinan doesn’t belong on this list – but if you’re after the ultimate SUV, this is probably it. If the Aston Martin DBX at the top of this list is the closest SUV to its supercar relatives in terms of build and platform, then the Cullinan is a high-riding estate version of Rolls-Royce’s all-aluminium saloons.
It uses a 6.75-litre V12 engine with two turbochargers, engineered for smoothness and refinement rather than outright power. But in Black Badge form, it still delivers an impressive 592bhp and 850Nm of torque. Despite tipping the scales at close to three tonnes, it’ll reach 62mph in 4.3 seconds – all while making barely a whisper.
However, like all modern Rolls-Royce models, the Cullinan’s exquisite build quality and sheer level of personalisation mean almost nothing comes close in terms of ultimate luxury. Yes, there are more extroverted SUVs, and certainly more practical ones, but the Cullinan stands apart.
The only real rival? Ferrari’s Purosangue. Though it’s not quite an SUV, and not quite a Rolls-Royce either.
