Americans want SUVs. All of them. Big ones and little ones and fast ones and fancy ones. We're drawn to their sky-high seating, cargo room large enough to stow a national park, and the perceived ability to traverse anything—even if "anything" is mostly the parking lot of Whole Foods. Automakers gleefully churn out SUVs because they're subject to more relaxed regulatory, emissions, and fuel economy standards, and generate small mountains of profits. That last bit goes doubly so for that fairly modern, increasingly popular beast: the ultra-luxury SUV.
In the past year, we've seen the introduction of at least seven new six-figure SUVs, many from brands that haven't produced a single sport ute in their history. The Lamborghinis and Rolls Royces of the world, tired of watching their customers go elsewhere for a family-sized 4x4, are suddenly joining in the XXL fun. If you're looking to drop a hundred grand (or four times that) on a ride big enough to carry your entourage and your ego, here's your shopping list:
Lincoln Navigator Black Label
Price: $94,000
Way back in '97, Lincoln pioneered the baller ute by tacking chrome, leather, (fake) wood, and a grill the size of Rhode Island onto a Ford Expedition and charging a premium. Cadillac xerox'ed the concept with the Escalade, then proceeded to drink Lincoln’s full-size SUV milkshake for the next twenty years, becoming the de rigueur vehicle for famous people and the Uber drivers of mildly famous people. But Lincoln—rebooted with less chrome, more chill—recently released an all-new Navigator that's rich enough to challenge the dominance of its crested Detroit competitor. Especially if you order it in Black Label trim, which brings those signature swing-out running boards, wheels that look like they were ripped from a 747's turbine engines, and enough tech to outfit an MIT dorm (room). The Black Label starts at just $94,000, but listen—you're not dropping that much to skip out on the 18-way adjustable seats with included massaging function, right?
Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen
Price: $125,000
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class was originally built as a military vehicle for the Shah of Iran, back in the late '70s. When that whole Iranian Revolution thing happened, the beefy Benz became an agricultural and military truck in Europe and abroad. Here in the states—where it finally arrived in 2002—the G has only really ever been a bossy urban status symbol, and a bit of a rough-riding relic. That latter part's about to change with the introduction this fall of the all-new G-Wagen, the first full-fledged redesign in four decades. The new truck remains hand-built, rectilinear, and preternaturally capable off-road thanks to its sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. But humanized suspension, vastly increased cabin space, and an interior inspired by Benz’s top-of-the-line S-Class—whether you're in the "base" G550 or the loaded, 577-horsepower, roughly $200,000 G63—make it a much more comfortable place to quietly condescend to everyone else on the road.
Aston Martin DBX
Price: ~$200,000 (est.)
Aston is known best for making deeply arousing sports cars that make even valets perk up. Somehow, Aston carried over this same sexiness to its concept DBX, which actively avoids the usual refrigerator box shape without completely sacrificing the utility in the sport-utility equation. Though the final design will not be unveiled until mid-2019, Aston has confirmed that the real-deal DBX will differ in a few key ways: it'll have four doors, a hatch in the back, all-wheel drive (a first for Aston), and a less steeply raked roofline than this concept so you can load humans and groceries and labradoodles with ease. Happily, the DBX will be powered by the same family of rumbly, twin-turbocharged V8 and V12 engines available in the brand’s DB11 supercar. And it should come with one more trick: the company's first hybrid electric powertrain.
Lamborghini Urus
Price: $200,000
Lamborghini’s first SUV—the flared, snorting LM002 of the '80s and '90s—was powered by a honking V12 engine from the brand’s Countach supercar and nicknamed the Rambo Lambo for its outrageous menace. The Urus (pronounced OOR-oose, with extra rolled 'r'), though, is more Cristiano Ronaldo than Sylvester Stallone, with lots of angular lines rather than bulging muscles, but still plenty of punch. To wit, it packs a 641-hp, twin-turbo V-8, can accelerate to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, and hits a top speed of 189 mph. We're talking supercar performance, but in a 5,000-pound SUV that can fit five passengers (four if you opt for the rear buckets) and delivers cushy highway-cruising comfort. Oh, and a videogame cockpit where the starter button is tucked under a red flip-up cover and the shifter mimics a jet throttle. It's a Lamborghini—you don't buy it for subtlety.
Bentley Bentayga Hybrid
Price: $200,000
Bentley will be releasing its first plug-in hybrid later this year. It won't be some opulent mile-long sedan stretching into the horizon, but a new version of the British marque’s ultra-luxury Bentayga SUV. Instead of the twin-turbo V-8 or V-12 engines you can find in the regular Bentayga (already at a dealer near you), the hybrid gets a V-6 and a plug-in battery pack that allows for 31 miles of electricity-only cruising—just enough to get from one end of your estate's driveway to the other. Speaking of recharging, you can juice up your Bentayga Hybrid with the optional exclusive Bentley charger, crafted by design god Philippe Starck.
Land Rover Range Rover SV Coupe
Price: $295,000
The first Range Rovers, built for gentlemen farmers in the early 1970s, had only two doors. This, new coupe is the first time that the full-size Range has come in a two-door configuration since then—though its lost the whole "bopping between the corn fields" mentality. In exchange for half the ingress utility, you get giant 23” wheels and a supercharged 557-hp V-8, which makes this the fastest Range ever built. Inside, big-money touches like diamond-quilted leather, knurled metal switchgear, and sculpturally fused walnut-and-sycamore trim contribute to the feeling of luxury—while the fact that only 999 Range Rover SV Coupes will be built contributes to the feeling of smugness.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price: $325,000
Rolls Royce is so posh that it won't even refer to the Cullinan by a word as plebeian as "SUV"—instead it is a [cue classy British accent] "high-sided vehicle.” The name comes from one of the world’s largest diamonds—the gem weighs over 3,100 carats, a number as jaw-dropping as the Rolls' $325,000 price. Of course, the “average” RR customer is expected to up this to $400,000 with bespoke leathers, wood veneers, and paint colors, as well as options like a rear seat champagne fridge, crystal whiskey decanters, heated armrests, and power-operated slide-out seats in the rear hatch—you know, for picnics or the family's annual fox hunt. At least the twin-turbo, 563-hp V-12 engine is included in the asking price. Not only will the Cullinan get up and go, it'll also get down: the SUV automatically lowers itself a few inches when the doors are opened so you and your royal(ly rich) family can exit gracefully.