These seven SUVs will hit 62mph in four seconds or less

Time was, any supercar that’d dip under the four-second mark to 62mph was something to behold. Genuine pace. Proper fast.

Time also was, an SUV was precisely none of those things. My, how times have changed. Today, you can legitimately purchase (or nearly purchase in some of these instances) a high-riding, plush off-roader that’ll accelerate faster than a Ferrari F40.

A Ferrari F40! Seriously. That car managed 4.1secs. The seven monsters listed below manage the benchmark sprint in four seconds flat and under.

We live in scary times, people. Here are seven of the fastest accelerating SUVs that you can buy with actual money (or be able to buy with actual money, soon-ish).

There’s a 4.0-litre diesel version available that’ll allow you to hit 62mph in 4.8secs, but you don’t want that. You want the 6.0-litre W12-engined Bentayga that’ll crack the 0-62mph sprint in four seconds flat, before maxing out at 187mph.

It weighs 2,440kg for goodness sake!

Read Top Gear's full review of the Bentley Bentayga here

The new, Mk3 Porsche Cayenne was unveiled earlier this year at the Frankfurt motor show. A new Turbo tops the range, complete with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and 542bhp to play with.

It plays fast, too. It’ll top out at 177mph, but not before recording that scorching 0-62mph time.

Read Top Gear's full review of the new Porsche Cayenne here

Though you can’t yet purchase the Quadrifoglio version of the new Stelvio SUV, potential customers might like to know that it’s a) the fastest SUV around the ‘Ring, and b) it’ll outrun a lot of exotica.

Yep, Alfa reckons the 3.0-litre turbo V6 Stelvio will keep pace with its own Giulia QV up to 62mph. Oh, and as for that ‘Ring time? 7min 51.7secs. IN AN SUV.

Read Top Gear's review of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio here

Another 4.0-litre turbo V8 doing fine service here, producing 503bhp and 516lb ft of torque. As we mentioned on our first test, deploying so much power in a family SUV has dramatic consqeuences.

0-62mph takes just 3.8secs, which is barmy, considering the thing weighs 2,010kg. Sounds good, too.

Read Top Gear's review of the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S here

We first saw the Urus concept way back in 2012. Now, we’re finally here. Yes, Lamborghini has joined in the SUV arms race with its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 (sensing a theme here?), 641bhp and ability to hit 62mph in just 3.7secs.

Three. Point. Seven.

Read Top Gear's first drive of the new Urus SUV here

Fitting a 6.2-litre V8 into a family SUV gets a big tick in our books. Especially when it produces 707bhp.

Now, Jeep only records the time this Trackhawk takes to accelerate to 60mph (and not 62mph), but whichever way you run it, 3.3secs – consistently, as we found out on our test drive – is phenomenally, otherworldy fast when it comes to a big, heavy SUV.

Read Top Gear's first drive of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk here

Yep, Tesla strikes again. But that’s electricity for you, and it’s ability to turn power into ‘oh-god-please-slow-down’ forward motion. Prime it in Ludicrous mode. Point at horizon. Deploy right foot.

Then hold on tight. Reckon we’ll ever get to the sub-three-second SUV era?

Read Top Gear's full review of the Tesla Model X here