The Most Powerful SUVs of 2026: Electric Models Now Top 1,000 Horsepower
Our 2024 list was led by the Urus and Purosangue. In 2026 the combustion leaders sit near 800 hp, while electric SUVs from Rivian, Lucid and GMC pass 1,000.
Contents · 3 parts
In 2024 we listed five of the fastest SUVs on sale: the Lamborghini Urus, Ferrari Purosangue, Aston Martin DBX707, Rivian R1S and GMC Hummer EV. Two years later every one of those names has been updated or replaced, and the split between combustion and electric performance is wider than ever.
The combustion and hybrid leaders
The Urus is now the Urus SE, a plug-in hybrid with 789 hp, and Aston Martin has put the 717-hp DBX S above the DBX707. The Ferrari Purosangue keeps its 715-hp naturally aspirated V12. Porsche's Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid makes 729 hp. These figures come from a 2026 roundup of the most powerful SUVs on sale in the U.S., published by AOL.
The electric leaders
Electric SUVs now occupy the top of the power table. The same roundup lists the Tesla Model X Plaid at 1,020 hp, the Rivian R1S Quad-Motor at 1,050 hp, the Lucid Gravity Dream Edition at 1,070 hp and the GMC Hummer EV SUV at 1,160 hp. On the track the shift is visible too: in May 2026 Xiaomi's electric YU7 GT took the Nürburgring SUV lap record from the Audi RS Q8 performance.
| Powertrain | Output | U.S. price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamborghini Urus SE | Plug-in hybrid V8 | 789 hp | About $280,000 |
| Aston Martin DBX S | Twin-turbo V8 | 717 hp | $282,000 |
| Ferrari Purosangue | V12 | 715 hp | About $435,000 |
| Rivian R1S Quad-Motor | Electric | 1,050 hp | $123,885 |
| GMC Hummer EV SUV | Electric | 1,160 hp | $107,995 |
Our read
Power is no longer what separates the exotic SUVs from the rest. A $108,000 electric GMC out-muscles a $400,000-plus Ferrari on paper. The Urus, DBX and Purosangue now sell sound, handling and brand, and their makers know it: even after their latest updates they sit well short of the electric rivals on output.
