Remember when we thought that no one needs a ridiculously fast SUV? Well, we still think that but apparently that doesn’t mean that customers don’t want one. They do. Badly.
When Porsche first broke ground with the original Cayenne, it was simply baffling how they’ve managed to make such a big, heavy thing to drive so well but since then, more and more car makers have entered the game of the so-called super-SUVs.
Take a look at the Range Rover Sport SVR for example. It’s quite angry-looking with its bigger air intakes at the front, quad exhausts at the rear and massive 21-inch alloys. Under the souped-up bodywork lives JLR’s widely-used supercharged 5.0-liter V8, which in the updated model produces 567hp (575PS) and sends this heavyweight athlete from naught to 62mph (100km/h) in just 4.5 seconds.
The latest generation of the Porsche Cayenne on the other hand looks like a …Cayenne, only more modern and less evocative when compared to the angry Range Rover. Under the bonnet we find Porsche’s new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine, producing 542hp (550PS). Opt for the Sports Chrono Package and the classic 0-62mph (100km/h) is dealt in 3.9 seconds.
JLR’s Special Vehicles Operations division is responsible for tuning the chassis of the Range Rover Sport SVR, making it apparently corner with sheer enthusiasm and eagerness.
Porsche on the other hand gave the latest Cayenne Turbo a set of air springs and 48-volt decoupling anti-roll bars, making it comfortable when you want to and corner with no body roll when the road stops going straight.
Which one is the better SUV? Well, if you want your SUV with at least 542hp and to handle mostly like it’s not an SUV, then the question should really be which one is the wildest of the two. Autocar delivers its verdict on the video that follows.