Best coupé SUVs 2026 – tried, tested and rated

As with the regular Porsche Cayenne, the biggest strengths of the Coupé are its handling and performance. No version feels slow, but if you can afford to, we'd recommend paying a little extra to put an S version on your driveway. That model gets a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 petrol engine with 468bhp – and can rocket to 62mph in 4.7sec.

Team our favourite engine with air suspension and you're in for a real treat, because such equipped cars offer exceptional body control at high speeds, and deal with smaller lumps and bumps well, even if the air-sprung Range Rover Sport is even better.

Inside, you'll find an infotainment system that's easy to get along with, plus a comfortable driving position and the kind of build quality which should stand up to family life well. It's a shame that adjustable lumbar support isn't standard, but that's one of very few gripes.

You'll need a fair amount in the bank to put a Cayenne Coupé on your driveway, and only the plug-in hybrid versions make any sort of sense if you're a company car driver. But on the right road, at the right time, few cars of any sort can put as big of a smile on your face.

"I'd be running a Cayenne Coupé as a company car, which means I'd choose an E-Hybrid version. These are capable of 50 miles of electric-only range, and sit in a low Benefit-in-Kind tax bracket as a result." – Darren Moss, Deputy Editor

Read our full Porsche Cayenne Coupé review

A recent facelift has only made the Cupra Formentor more of a tempting proposition – and the result is so good that we named it as the best coupé SUV at the most recent What Car? Car of the Year Awards.

It's the 1.5-litre petrol-engined version which we think will appeal to most buyers, because this offers peppy performance while also keeping your running costs sensible. There are more powerful options, such as the 2.0-litre petrol model with four-wheel drive, but that ventures firmly into the realm of a sports SUV. Plus there are two plug-in hybrids which are well worth looking at if you're a company car driver, since these can officially cover up to 78 miles on electric power.

You'll find more room for rear passengers in the Formentor than you would in rivals such as the DS 4 or Toyota C-HR, and you'll have to look at boxier family SUVs to get even more room. The boot is decent by the standards of the class, too, but bear in mind that the plug-in hybrids or versions fitted with four-wheel drive lose some of their space.

You get plenty of kit as standard in the Formentor, including luxuries such as 18in alloy wheels, three-zone climate control and adaptive cruise control. The Formentor came towards the top of the family SUV class according to the results of the What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing with a confidence-inspiring score of 93.9%. Cupra as a brand, meanwhile, came 13th out of 30 car makers.

Should anything go wrong, the Cupra is covered by a five-year, 90,000-mile warranty, which is better than what you get on rivals such as the BMW X2 or Volvo XC40.

“In my experience, a lot of coupé-style SUVs are expensive but the Formentor is well priced against most of its family SUV rivals. The 1.5-litre petrol engine is particularly good value and shouldn't cost the Earth to run.” – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

Read our full Cupra Formentor review

Without the BMW X6, it’s doubtful this class would even exist. And despite only placing third on this list in 2025, it remains a solid all-round choice.

Perhaps controversially, you can have your X6 with either petrol or diesel power, but we'd suggest only looking at the latter if you'll be covering lots of miles. If you do, then you might want to consider the punchy yet frugal xDrive30d, which is our current pick of the range. It's beautifully smooth, and has enough grunt to make stepping up to the more powerful xDrive40d feel a little pointless.

While the rival Audi Q8 is a more comfortable car in which to tackle a long journey, the X6 still does a good job of isolating you from the worst lumps and bumps, as well as outside noise. Body control is impressively tight, too, and makes the Range Rover Velar feel a bit sloppy by comparison.

We like the X6's sharp and feature-packed infotainment system, not least because it's controlled through a physical dial rather than you having to prod the touchscreen for every interaction. Elsewhere, the materials used around the interior feel exactly as they should at this price point – high-quality and built to last.

"I'd steer clear of the X6's optional Sky Lounge panoramic roof. It might let more light into the rear seats, but any tall passengers won't thank you for the sacrifice in head room." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Read our full BMW X6 review

The Q5 sportback is rather a sensible choice in a class usually ruled by the heart rather than the head. You see, its engines include mild-hybrid techology, meaning they can save you money on running costs and, unusually, can also run for short distances on electric power alone. Whether you opt for petrol or diesel power, you'll get a 2.0-litre engine sending its power to all four wheels. We've only tried the diesel so far, and it makes for effortless everyday driving.

It's shame that the Q5 Sportback follows the regular Audi Q5 in feeling like a bit of a step backwards in terms of interior quality. Both the BMW X4 and Mercedes GLC Coupé offer more of a first-class feeling, and there are no longer any physical air-con controls which means another backwards step for usability.

At least a couple of six-footers will still be happy on the rear bench of the Q5 Sportback, since there's better head room than in the X4. And if you go for an S Line or Edition 1 model, you also get a sliding rear bench, meaning you can prioritise either leg room or boot space depending on your needs.

"I like all the tech in the Q5 Sportback, but Audi as a whole has some catching up to do when it comes to reliability. The brand fnished in a disappointing 24th place out of 31 brands in our latest Reliability Survey." – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

Read our full Audi Q5 Sportback review

You'll pay far less to put a Volkswagen Taigo on your driveway than you would for many of the other cars on this list – and don't think that you're not getting the full coupé-SUV experience as a result. Quite the opposite, in fact – the Taigo is a sleeker and sportier alternative to the Volkswagen T-Cross on which it is based.

Even the entry-level 1.0-litre petrol engine doesn't feel too out of breath on the motorway, but we'd suggest going for the 113bhp version if you do regularly travel on faster roads. This is our recommended choice, and does a good job of balancing peppy performance with reasonable running costs – the official figures suggest you should see upwards of 50mpg without trying too hard.

Despite its sloping roof, head room in the back of the Taigo doesn't take too much of a hit, even if it's not as spacious as some other small SUVs like the Skoda Kamiq. A couple of taller passengers are unlikely to complain on the rear seats, though middle passengers get a slightly worse time because their seat is raised.

"I don't think there's any need to look beyond entry-level Life trim in the Taigo, because it comes with everything you're likely to want, including 16in alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, automatic wipers and adaptive cruise control." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

Read our full Volkswagen Taigo review

The bigger sibling to the Smart #1, the #3 takes everything which we love about that car and packages it into a larger and more tempting shape. 

Barring the range-topping Brabus model, most versions of the #3 come with a 268bhp electric motor driving the rear wheels. The result is a 0-62mph sprint time of 5.8sec – faster than an entry-level Tesla Model Y, and faster than any version of the Skoda Enyaq Coupé can manage.

As for range? Well, the Pro+ model can officially take you up to 270 miles between charges, while the Premium can go 283 miles thanks to its marginally more efficient motor. 

If you do want more power, then the Brabus trades a little range (258 miles) for four-wheel drive and a dollop of extra power. With 422bhp available, its 0-62mph sprint time of jut 3.7sec is faster than an Audi RS3.

"I'm quite tall, and found that the Smart #3's fixed head restraints pushed my head forwards no matter what driving position I was in. It felt a bit un-natural, and let the side down in a car which is otherwise brilliant." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Read our full Smart #3 review

The Range Rover Velar is a stylish, refined and seriously appealing coupé SUV, plus it's very comfortable if you resist the temptation to upgrade to big wheels. Our favoured S trim keeps the price sensible and still provides plenty of standard kit, with adaptive cruise control, automatic lights and wipers and keyless entry all included.

The fastest Velar is also the most appealing option for company car drivers, with the plug-in hybrid P400e officialy capable of up to 39 miles of all-electric driving, as well as being able to reach motorway speeds in 5.1sec. If you'd rather stick with combustion power, then the diesel-engined D200 offers plenty of punch for high-mileage drivers, while the D300 is even more powerful.

While your rear-seat passengers are unlikely to complain about head room, even if you opt for a panoramic roof, they might have some reservations around leg room, which is tighter than you'll find in an Audi Q8 or BMW X6.

"It's a shame that as you poke around the Range Rover Velar, it's all too easy to find some flimsy plastics and larger panel gaps. It's not what I'd expect for a car in this price bracket." – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

Read our full Range Rover Velar review

If electric power isn't for you, and you're after a coupé-SUV look and are shopping with a hefty budget, then the classy, spacious and refined Q8 is seriously worth considering. Your engine choices are limited to either a punchy 282bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel, or a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol with 355bhp. The latter feels fantastically quick, and can propel you up to 62mph in 5.9sec. If you want more speed, then there's also the Audi SQ8 and RS Q8 to consider, but those both cost substantially more.

The dual-screen infotainment setup of the Q8 takes some getting used to, not least because you have to look away from the road to change any of its settings, but at least it looks swish and comes with all of the features you might expect. We prefer the physical controller of the BMW X6, though. Audi's Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster works well, and is highly configurable.

Unlike some of the other cars on this list, you get a great view out of the Q8 no matter where you're looking. Even seeing out of the sloped rear end is a doddle, and it's made even easier by the stanfard-fit rear-view camera and all-round parking sensors.

"If, like me, you don't like packing light for a road trip, then you'll be pleased to know that we managed to fit eight carry-on suitcases inside the Q8's boot – more than in the BMW X6." – Darren Moss, Deputy Editor

Read our full Audi Q8 review

No, you're not seeing double – this is another entry for the brilliant Porsche Cayenne Coupé, but while the version which leads our list of the best coupé SUVs is combustion-engined, this one is fully electric.

There are three versions to choose from, and even the cheapest can rocket you up to motorway speeds in 4.8 seconds – a figure which is seriously impressive when you consider that this SUV weighs well North of 2.5 tonnes. Go for the range-topping Turbo model, and the same 0-62mph sprint takes place in less time than it's taken you to read this sentence. 

Despite its weight, the Cayenne Coupé feels far more agile than it has any right to, staying flat through corners and doing a decent job of smoothing out ruts and bumps in the road surface. The optional rear-wheel steering helps to reduce the turning circle in town, too.

Of course, such performance would mean very little if the Porsche didn't have long enough legs to get you where you're going. And the Cayenne Coupé certainly does, thanks to its huge 108kWh (usable capacity) battery which gives every version a range of around 400 miles – more than enough for the needs of most buyers.

Putting any version of the Cayenne Coupé Electric on your driveway is an expensive business, especially compared with rival electric SUVs such as the Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback and BMW iX, and like most electric cars, you'll see a fair chunk of value shaved off over the first three years of ownership due to depreciation. On the plus side, you get a good amount of kit as standard, and it's reassuring to note that Porsche offers a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

“The Turbo’s acceleration is akin to being shot out of a cannon. I’ve not experienced anything more rapid; certainly not in something so large." – Stuart Milne, Digital editor

Read our full Porsche Cayenne Coupé Electric review

The Ferrari of SUVs is all about big numbers – whether you take that to mean its 6.5-litre non-turbocharged V12 petrol engine, its colossal 715bhp, or the fact that you can happily let the rev counter stray beyond 8000rpm before needing to change gear. The result is incredibly fast as you'd expect, but what you might not expect is how agile and lively the Purosangue feels. Whether thanks to the rear-biased four-wheel drive system, or the rear-wheel steering, or any number of the myriad other systems at play, this huge SUV feels very un-SUV like to drive.

You sit low down inside the Pursosangue, making you feel like you're in a proper old-school grand tourer. It's spacious in the front for the driver and passenger, but rear-seat passengers get a worse deal, because their seats don't get much padding and you're forced to sit in quite an upright position. There's not an abundance of room in the boot, either, because we managed to fit just five carry-on suitcases inside.

You'll need very deep pockets to even consider buying a Purosangue, and even deeper reserves to run it, with our varied test route returning just 13mph. But as a statement, very few cars in any class get close to the Ferrari.

"I barely touched the stereo in the Purosangue, because I was too busy enjoying the soulful and evocative sound from its V12 engine – it's a simply addictive sound." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Read our full Ferrari Purosangue review

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