10 of The Best Luxury SUVs to Buy Today
09th Jun 2026
By Edward Cook
There was a time when the luxury car market belonged almost exclusively to the long-wheelbase saloon. The Rolls-Royce in the driveway, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the executive car park — these were the vehicles that signalled arrival.
Today, the luxury SUV is the dominant force in the prestige segment. It combines the elevated driving position and practical versatility that buyers have come to expect with the interior quality, performance credentials and technological sophistication that were once the sole preserve of the finest saloons. The numbers tell the story clearly enough.
UK estate car and luxury saloon sales have fallen by 78.5 and 68.7 percent respectively since 2014, according to a recent analysis of DVLA data. Over the same period, SUV sales rose by nearly 118 percent. That is not a trend — it is a wholesale replacement of one segment by another.
The cars on this list span an enormous range, from refined family SUVs starting around the £60,000 mark to handcrafted British performance machines north of £200,000. None of them compromises on what a luxury vehicle should be. We have selected ten of the finest SUVs available today, ordered from the most accessible to the most exclusive.
- Mercedes-Benz GLC
- BMW X5
- Volvo XC90
- Audi Q7
- Lexus RX
- Porsche Cayenne
- Range Rover Sport
- Mercedes-Benz GLS
- Range Rover
- Aston Martin DBX707
Mercedes-Benz GLC
The GLC is the best-selling model in the entire Mercedes-Benz range, accounting for around one in five of all Mercedes-Benz models sold during peak quarters. It is a consistent bestseller for a straightforward reason: it is very difficult to fault. Now in a new generation that makes the bold move to a fully electric powertrain, it has arrived as one of the most technologically compelling mid-size luxury SUVs on sale.
The GLC 400 4MATIC produces 483bhp from dual electric motors, covers 0 to 62mph in 4.4 seconds, and offers up to 406 miles of official range. A 330kW charging capability can add 188 miles in around ten minutes at a compatible rapid charger — among the fastest in its class. Inside, an MBUX Hyperscreen stretches 39.1 inches across the full width of the dashboard, and a generously sized boot ensures practicality has not been sacrificed in the pursuit of advanced technology.
Most luxury SUVs ask you to choose between presence and practicality. The GLC, to its credit, does not. It is large enough to feel premium every day, yet compact enough not to become a liability in multi-storey car parks.
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BMW originally described the X5 as a "Sports Activity Vehicle" rather than an SUV. It sounded like marketing jargon at the time, but the phrase neatly captured how much more road-focused it felt than traditional off-roaders. The X5 helped establish the template that many luxury SUVs still follow today: commanding seating position, family practicality and exceptional handling. Where many large luxury SUVs feel detached, the X5 rewards its driver with a sense of involvement that few rivals at this size can match.
The interior answers that same brief. BMW's Curved Display — combining a 12.3-inch driver information screen and 14.9-inch touchscreen behind a single sweep of glass — is among the most intuitive interfaces in the class.
The pick of the range is the xDrive50e plug-in hybrid: 483bhp, a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine paired with a 25.7kWh battery, and up to 65 miles of electric range. The numbers are impressive, but it is always the driving character that has set the X5 apart.
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The Volvo XC90 has been on sale since 2015 and, recently refreshed, remains one of the most compelling large luxury SUVs available. That longevity is testament not to complacency but to how right Volvo got it in the first place.
Indeed, Volvo eventually discontinued its estate and saloon cars in the UK entirely, as the XC90 was outselling the S60, V60, S90 and V90 combined in certain periods. It is a car that single-handedly redirected an entire brand's identity.
Seven genuine seats are standard. The cabin is a calm, exercise in Scandinavian restraint, with high-quality materials and an intuitive Google-powered infotainment system. Air suspension — available from Plus trim — delivers a ride that is both poised and deeply comfortable. Powertrain options run from a 247bhp mild hybrid petrol to the T8 plug-in hybrid with 455bhp and up to 44 miles of electric range.
Search Used Volvo XC90Audi Q7
Audi launched the original Q7 in Australia by driving 15 of them across 7,000 kilometres of outback terrain — including the Simpson Desert's Big Red sand dune — to prove it was more than a car park luxury item. All 15 completed the journey without issue. The Q7 offers a rare combination: seven-seat practicality available on non-hybrid variants, a comprehensively equipped interior and that characteristic Audi quality of execution. There is a sense that everything has been considered, and nothing left to chance.
Two large touchscreens, Audi's Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster and standard air suspension combine to make the Q7 one of the most relaxing long-distance companions in its class. That air suspension deserves particular mention: it irons out imperfections with a smoothness that surprises many first-time passengers. The plug-in hybrid TFSIe now offers up to 50 miles of electric range.
Despite its size, many owners use the Q7 less like a luxury SUV and more like a Swiss Army knife: taking school runs, motorway trips, airport transfers and family holidays all in their stride.
Search New Porsche 911 Search Used Porsche 911Lexus RX
The Lexus RX occupies a distinctive position in this segment. While most rivals make some claim to driver engagement, the RX takes a different approach entirely, prioritising refinement, build quality and running-cost efficiency.
The 450h+ plug-in hybrid produces over 300bhp and offers more than 40 miles of electric range. The 500h F Sport Performance develops 371bhp for those wanting a sharper edge. Both are characteristically near-silent at low speeds.
Standard equipment is generous, fit and finish is faultless, and Lexus consistently tops leading reliability surveys. Few luxury vehicles have built a stronger reputation for owner loyalty. Many RX buyers simply replace their old RX with a newer one, a level of repeat custom that other manufacturers quietly envy.
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It is difficult to overstate the Cayenne's importance. It significantly broadened Porsche's customer base and helped transform the company from a niche sports car manufacturer into a global luxury powerhouse. Despite the scepticism with which it was first received, Porsche has sold more Cayenne models than 911, Panamera and Macan ones combined in most years since launch.
Start with the 349bhp turbocharged 3.0-litre V6, and the first thing you notice is how little it drives like a two-tonne SUV. The Cayenne Electric brings 400bhp and up to 399 miles of official range, with a Turbo variant producing over 1,000bhp for those who believe that subtlety is optional.
Inside, a curved 12.6-inch display dominates the centre console, and material quality throughout matches that of rivals from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The Cayenne remains one of the few SUVs that regularly appears in conversations normally reserved for sports saloons. That alone says a great deal about how Porsche engineered it.
Search New Porsche Cayenne Search Used Porsche CayenneRange Rover Sport
The Range Rover Sport's original concept, previewed by the Range Stormer show car in 2004, was Land Rover's first-ever concept vehicle. Its purpose was explicitly to test public reaction to the idea of a sportier Range Rover. The reaction was so positive that pre-orders rushed in before the production car was even officially announced.
The production car more than justified that early enthusiasm. Inside, a 13.1-inch curved Pivi Pro touchscreen anchors a cabin of premium materials and up to 22-way adjustable heated front seats. The powertrain line-up runs from mild hybrid six-cylinders through plug-in hybrid variants producing up to 503bhp, to a 523bhp twin-turbo V8 P530 at the top of the range, with SV variants pushing further still.
The Range Rover Sport occupies a broad position in the market. Some owners use it to tow horses, boats or trailers, while others spec one like a luxury grand tourer and rarely leave the tarmac.
Search New Range Rover Sport Search Used Range Rover SportMercedes-Benz GLS
Mercedes-Benz describes the GLS as the S-Class of SUVs. At over five metres in length, it makes that ambition clear from a distance. The manufacturer also says that two passengers measuring six feet four inches can ride comfortably in the third row — a claim that very few seven-seat SUVs can make with a straight face.
Those seven seats come as standard and, unlike the compromised third rows found elsewhere, the GLS can comfortably accommodate adults in the rearmost positions. A six-seat layout is also available, with individual captain's chairs in the middle row.
The UK range opens with the 450d, a mild hybrid 3.0-litre straight-six diesel producing 362bhp, and more. At the top end, the AMG GLS 63 brings a 603bhp V8 and a 4.2-second 0 to 62mph time. This figure merits a quiet moment of wonder, given the car's dimensions.
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In 1971, just one year after launch, the original Range Rover became the first vehicle ever to be exhibited at the Louvre in Paris, where it was cited as an "exemplary work of industrial design" and displayed alongside the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. No car before or since has received quite that level of endorsement.
The interior is exceptional: a level of material quality and finish that invites comparison with the finest saloons in the world. Seven seats, rear-axle steering and a 13.1-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen are standard across the range. Powertrains span inline-six mild hybrids through to V8 petrol and plug-in hybrids producing up to 550bhp. Most significantly, the recently-introduced Range Rover Electric brings dual motors, a 118kWh battery, over 300 miles of real-world range and 800-volt charging to 80 percent in around 20 minutes.
This is the car that established the luxury SUV template in the seventies, and it has held the standard ever since. The current generation is the most accomplished expression of that template yet.
Search New Range Rover Search Used Range RoverAston Martin DBX
The DBX was originally conceived and developed at a facility in Hemmingen, Germany — away from Aston Martin's Gaydon headquarters — to keep the project secret from an internal culture that might have resisted an SUV. It is now proudly produced in Wales at Aston Martin's St Athan plant, which was purpose-built for the model. The DBX became Aston Martin's best-selling car within its first year of full production, accounting for more than half of the brand's total global sales.
The twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, co-developed with Mercedes-AMG, produces 697bhp. The 0 to 62mph time is 3.3 seconds; top speed is 193mph. This is a supercar that happens to ride higher while offering five seats, a 632-litre boot and an air suspension that delivers a composed long-distance ride.
There are faster SUVs. There are more practical ones. There is not, however, another one on this list that makes such a dramatic statement.
Search New Aston Martin DBX Search Used Aston Martin DBXFrequently asked questions
Less so than they once were. The shift towards plug-in hybrid and fully electric variants has changed the picture considerably, and models such as the BMW X5 xDrive50e and Lexus RX 450h+ can be very efficient for those who charge regularly. It is worth speaking to a Stratstone specialist to understand the full cost-of-ownership picture for any specific model.
It depends on what you are asking of the car. For ultimate prestige and capability, the Range Rover sets the benchmark. For driver engagement, nothing in this segment matches the Porsche Cayenne. For seven-seat versatility, the Mercedes-Benz GLS and Audi Q7 make the strongest case. The BMW X5 remains the most rounded all-rounder — doing everything well without a notable weakness.
The most established nameplates — Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5 in particular — have historically retained their value well. Brand equity, strong used-market demand and, at the most exclusive end, limited production volumes all contribute to above-average residuals.
Ready to find your luxury SUV?
The biggest change in luxury motoring over the last two decades may not be electrification or digital technology. It may simply be that the SUV quietly replaced the executive saloon as the default premium vehicle.
Whether you are drawn to the silent authority of the Range Rover Electric, the sporting intensity of a Porsche Cayenne or the drama of an Aston Martin DBX707, the luxury SUV market has never been stronger. At Stratstone, we represent many of the world's finest automotive brands, and our team is on hand to help you find exactly the right car. Browse our current new and used stock online, or visit your nearest Stratstone dealership. The best way to choose your next car is always from behind the wheel.
