Most Powerful SUVs You Can Buy New in America 2026

There was a time not that long ago when SUVs having massive amounts of power would have seemed crazy. But more and more are showing up every year with the kind of horsepower figures that used to be the preserve of Sports Cars, Supercars, or even Hypercars. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the most powerful SUVs you can buy brand-new in America right now in 2026.

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103 autotech

As you’d expect, there are several fully-electric options on here. But there’s more representation for internal combustion than you might think. That includes a car with easily the most purist and headline-grabbing engine an SUV in the 2020s could have.

10

Ferrari Purosangue

Power: 715 hp

Engine	Read Also 1 month ago The 454-Powered Chevy Wagon Most Muscle Car Fans Forget 35 autotech Transmission	Drivetrain	Power	Torque
6.5-liter V12	8-speed dual-clutch automatic	All-wheel drive	715 hp	528 lb-ft

The only V12-powered car on this list, the Ferrari Purosangue is an SUV that really knows how to stand out. A lot of that is due to its divisive looks. But, that naturally-aspirated V12 does play a part in it too. A variant of the same V12 that has powered some of Ferrari’s most prestigious cars for years, it produces 715 horsepower and 528 lb-ft of torque. That is less power than it usually makes in V12-engined Ferraris. But as this is an SUV, it makes sense that Ferrari would prioritize torque over all-out horsepower.

Via: Ferrari

Is the Purosangue controversial? Yes, it is. A lot of enthusiasts aren’t enamored with the concept of an SUV at all. Ferrari discontinuing the GTC4 Lusso to make an SUV model instead must have seemed like an absolute horror to those traditionalists. But it’s legitimately one of the most powerful SUVs you can currently buy and get delivered to your door in America. Plus, you can’t argue with that glorious V12 sound!

9

Aston Martin DBX S

Power: 717 hp

Aston Martin

Much like Ferrari’s decision to make the Purosangue, Aston Martin’s decision to make the DBX ruffled quite a few traditionalist feathers. But it’s proven to be a great high-performance SUV over the years. The DBX S is the latest and most powerful variant, producing 717 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque from its AMG-sourced twin-turbocharged V8. That makes it noticeably more powerful than the DBX 707 variant it replaces, as well as one of the most powerful SUVs you can buy in America.

Aston Martin

The DBX S is a controversial Aston Martin. There’s absolutely no getting around it. But with all the power and performance it has, it’s more than good enough for a high-performance SUV customer. Much like the V12-powered Ferrari Purosangue, that AMG engine and the huge horsepower that comes with it really can’t be argued against!

8

Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid

Power: 729 hp

Porsche

The first of two Porsches that are going to appear on this list, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid is the top of the line when it comes to the combustion-engined Cayenne. Its twin-turbocharged 4-liter V8 is boosted by an electric motor in the transmission, giving it a total output of 729 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque. That makes it more powerful than the old Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, and easily one of the most powerful SUVs you can get at the moment that still uses internal combustion.

Porsche

With the advent of the electric version of the Porsche Cayenne, it likely won’t be long until this older combustion-powered generation is phased out entirely. Anyone who still wants one of these mega-powered hybrids should probably act while they can.

7

Cadillac Escalade IQ

Power: 750 hp

Cadillac

The first fully-electric SUV to appear on this list, the Cadillac Escalade IQ is a fantastic glimpse into the future of one of America’s most prestigious brands. It’s an entirely different car to the combustion-engined Escalade, and that’s due to it riding on the General Motors Ultium platform. This also gives it some notable extra abilities, including the capability to crab walk. The large battery packs that can be used in this platform also mean it has a claimed 450 miles of range.​​​​​​​

Cadillac

The Cadillac Escalade IQ’s two electric motors produce a total output of 750 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque. While that means it’s fairly low in the power stakes in this list, it is one of the torquier ones. Torque is something you definitely want more of in an SUV, anyway, as SUVs are the kind of vehicles that will often be used for towing and hauling.​​​​​​​

6

Lamborghini Urus SE

Power: 789 hp

Via: Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Urus is another model that was deeply controversial when it was unveiled. But it’s become a real favorite over time, blending Lamborghini’s theatrical approach into the formula for a high-performance SUV.​​​​​​​ The Urus SE is the latest version of it, and it’s the first to have a hybrid powertrain.

Via: Lamborghini

Its powertrain is very similar to the one found in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid discussed earlier. But it’s more powerful, producing 789 horsepower and 701 lb-ft of torque. That’s more power than you got in the Urus Performante! This also makes it the most powerful SUV that still uses internal combustion that you can buy in America. All the vehicles covered from this point forward are fully electric.​​​​​​​

5

GMC Hummer EV3x SUV

Power: 830 hp

GMC

The GMC Hummer EV3x SUV is another car that uses the General Motors Ultium platform. In fact, it was one of the first vehicles to actually use it! As a result, a lot of the cool Ultium platform features (like the crab walk) made their SUV debut on this car. Its power figures are also absolutely crazy. While its tri-motor powertrain doesn’t break the 1,000 horsepower barrier, it is quoted as having up to 11,500 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. That makes this potentially the ultimate tow vehicle, if you’re not concerned about how much range towing a heavy load will sap from its battery pack.

GMC

Bringing the Hummer brand back as an electric vehicle was definitely a controversial decision by General Motors. But this SUV has clearly become one of the most impressive SUVs you can have on the street. Plus, it can actually do a bit of off-roading!

4

Tesla Model X Plaid

Power: 1,020 hp

Via: Tesla

Is there an SUV that’s more controversial than the Tesla Model X Plaid? Possibly not. It’s disliked by enthusiasts, the Model X in general has had a lot of complaints over poor quality control, and there’s the obvious issues that people have with Tesla’s main man Elon Musk. Setting all of that aside, this car is an impressive machine. Its tri-motor powertrain is more powerful than the Hummer’s at 1,020 horsepower, but it falls short on the torque front at 1,050 lb-ft. Still, that does make it a formidable torque figure.​​​​​​​

Via: Tesla

The Tesla Model X will be discontinued after this year, as Elon Musk wants to repurpose its production lines as part of producing the Tesla Optimus robots. A lot of enthusiasts won’t be sad to see this car go. But, in due time, it could end up getting its own weird kind of rarity value. It will certainly have a place in the history books as a high-performance SUV that rewrote the rulebook on how much power these vehicles were ‘allowed’ to have.​​​​​​​

3

Rivian R1S Quad-Motor

Power: 1,025 hp

Rivian

It’s very rare that you’ll see a car with a quad-motor electric powertrain. The Rivian R1S is one of those. The quad-motor setup is the most powerful available for this full-size SUV, making it the third most powerful vehicle on this list. You get 1,025 horsepower and 1,198 lb-ft of torque, and that’s not even the start of the cool things you can do with this setup. Because there’s a motor at each wheel, it can perform a tank steer by having two motors drive forwards while the other two drive in reverse. This is known as the “kick turn”, and it can genuinely be useful in off-road situations.

Rivian

Rivian may not come up first in the conversation when it comes to electric SUVs. But, the R1S has steadily proved itself to be a great car since it went on sale. That’s mainly for its practicality and capability. But, the fact that it’s one of the most powerful SUVs on the market (and a proper sleeper car on top of that) helps things too.

2

Lucid Gravity GT-S

Power: 1,070 hp

Lucid Motors

The Lucid Gravity GT-S only has two motors, as opposed to the three or four some of the other powerful electric options here. But, it’s easily got more horsepower than most of them! It may lag behind on torque at 909 lb-ft, but at 1,070 horsepower it has enough to challenge even some proper supercars in a straight line. And it can do that while carrying up to 7 people.

Lucid Motors

It’s not known yet whether the Gravity will get the crazy tri-motor powertrain that’s already in the Lucid Air Sapphire. But, if it ever does, it’ll easily become one of the fastest and most powerful SUVs ever made.

1

Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric

Power: 1,139 hp

Porsche

You might be a bit surprised that the most powerful SUV you can currently buy in America is electric. The Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric, though, is a car that seems to be full of surprises. In normal driving, it produces around 857 horsepower. But put it in launch control or press the push-to-pass button on the steering wheel, and you get access to an incredible 1,139 horsepower. That comes with 1,106 lb-ft of torque, too.

Porsche

It might seem really excessive for a mid-sized SUV to have the kind of power that can rival hypercars. But, it also feels appropriate for a high-powered Porsche. No other kind of vehicle can really balance the smooth EV driving experience with immense power and the feel of a proper performance machine like an electric Porsche can, and the Cayenne Turbo Electric has reinforced that.​​​​​​​

Sources: Aston Martin, Cadillac, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lucid, Porsche, Rivian, Tesla