SUVs that are actually sporty: From Porsche Cayenne to the Ford Puma ST, FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL picks her five favourites

Since January 2025, SUVs have officially been Britain's favourite type of new car – the body style made up one in three new car purchases.

Once-popular hatchbacks, saloons and estates fell by the wayside as crossovers and 4x4s took over.

Drivers have fallen for the new generation of SUVs that come with rugged body shapes, a jacked-up ride height, great visibility over the road, more space for family life, and enhanced safety.

The SUVs of today are a far cry from the military vehicles of the Second World War – Jeep coined the term 'Sport Utility Vehicle' in the 1970s – but many of them present as 'sporty', taking that first part of the 1970s term and running away with it. 

Yet few have any true sports thrill or feel – but some do.

So which SUVs of today are actually sporty? Which take the engineering, performance and fun of a sports car and elevate it to loftier, more luxurious heights?

To answer that, we've rounded up five SUVs that we believe are truly sporty to get behind the wheel of – and are worthy of the terminology.

The Porsche Cayenne Electric has a bonkers amount of power and is a dream to drive. But it is the most expensive on this list: it'll set you back at least £83k

1. Porsche Cayenne Electric

Price: from £83,200

The original Cayenne debuted in 2002, but the Cayenne of today is nothing like that SUV – it's electric.

However, somewhat controversially, it is also the most powerful model Porsche makes today – or at least the Turbo version with 1,140bhp is.

I spent a week with the Cayenne S, where I tested its sportiness on Herefordshire's mountain roads, its range driving between London and South Wales, and its ultra-rapid charging.

What makes it sporty?

While the S isn't quite as powerful as the Turbo, it still does 0-62mph with Launch Control in 3.8 seconds and has 657bhp (again, with Launch Control), which I can confirm is plenty to put your foot down and get thrown backwards in a wave of instant acceleration.

On tight, twisting, and often uneven rain-drenched roads in the Black Mountains, the Cayenne excelled.

Part of this was due to how well Porsche tunes its chassis, with the Cayenne's adaptive air suspension (featuring levelling and height adjustment) and Porsche's Active Suspension Management making for a fully confident driving session – setting up corners and feeling the satisfaction of them linking together.

The other part is down to the responsiveness and precision of the brake calipers.

As of 2025, three in five Porsches sold are SUVs, with the Macan (84,300 units) and Cayenne (80,900 units) topping the German brand's best-sellers list – and I can see why.

The second Porsche electric SUV on this list and the cheaper one: the Macan EV is a tamer alternative for sporty 4x4 drivers than the Cayenne

2. Porsche Macan Electric

Price: from £69,800

It might seem a bit much to have two SUVs from the same carmaker in one list, but having driven both almost back-to-back, I do believe the Macan deserves a place on this list just as much as the Cayenne.

Like the Cayenne, the Macan has been recently electrified – although the Macan EV arrived before the Cayenne.

Towards the end of 2024, Macan deliveries began in the UK, with the new generation of the popular SUV being sold exclusively in electric form – that is, until Porsche announced it is bringing out a petrol Macan for 2028 as part of its U-turn on electrification.

With a maximum of 630bhp (with Launch Control), the Macan is definitely a tamer sporty SUV than the Cayenne but it still has plenty of punch.

What makes it sporty?

I drove the base-spec Macan, which has 355bhp on offer. While this is about half the top spec's bhp and a sliver of the Cayenne's, I was very pleased to find that this SUV is by no means slow.

After all, 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds is really all that's needed.

In every environment, it brought together speed with pleasantly weighted steering, controlled composure, and delightful power delivery.

The Macan doesn't make you fall hook, line and sinker immediately; it is more of a slow burn. 

Over time, you start to appreciate tailoring the throttle, allowing the SUV to flow through bends and communicate with you in a non-flashy partnership.

What the Macan does well is allow you to get to grips with and tailor its performance, so you can have as much fun as possible and push the car to its full potential.

Alfa Romeo is aggressively priced compared to its luxurious competitors and is a punch drive even if the interior is a bit dated

3. Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Price: from £52,220

While still a decent chunk of money, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a less expensive option for a sporty SUV than either Porsche model or the Maserati.

Unveiled in 2016, the Stelvio entered the now highly competitive market segment with aggressive pricing.

Looking to the future, Alfa Romeo decided that it needed a model that would bring traditional Italian sports car dynamics to luxury crossover buyers.

The Stelvio doesn't compete with the most luxurious sporty SUVs – especially regarding its interior – but it does combine style, class and performance credentials in a good-looking and premium Italian package.

What makes it sporty?

The Stelvio might not blow your socks off in quite the way the Cayenne will, but it satisfies sporty cravings.

The 2-litre Turbo Petrol has 280bhp and can cover 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, so it's hot on the heels of the Macan – but it has a flair that a petrolhead will appreciate.

You can flick between drive modes, with 'Dynamic' being a fully calibrated sports mode that leaves manual shifts up to you. 

The paddle shifters are one of the best parts of the Stelvio and fully engage you with the turbo engine.

It cruises nicely on the motorway while managing to keep its weight well-planted on S-shaped roads, being both agile and responsive to your braking.

You do compromise on the interior, though – it could do with a refresh.

The Maserati Grecale is a flavoursome alternative to German SUVs like the Porsche models on this list

4. Maserati Grecale

Price: from £59,990

Maserati is, in my opinion, a low-key, unexpected alternative to Porsche.

Instead of German luxury, you have Italian craftsmanship with racing pedigree, grand touring capabilities and roaring engines.

The Grecale launched in 2022 and solidified a new segment for the Italian brand. At launch, it came with a wide range of powertrains: a conventional internal combustion engine, a mild hybrid and a Folgore EV that arrived later.

Starting from £59,990, it costs £3k more than the Porsche Macan (if you still get a combustion version), but it is a true rival that can turn heads away from its German competition.

What makes it sporty?

Full of fun and character, the Grecale is a mid-sized SUV you can't resist chucking around exciting roads.

Some people might think that a turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder mild hybrid petrol engine won't produce the kind of power you want from a sporty SUV, but we beg to differ.

With 296bhp (for the GT model), this will get you through the 0-62mph sprint in 5.6 seconds with a lovely growl and throaty noise from the engine. Get the top-of-the-range (petrol) Trofeo, and power is pushed up to 523bhp.

Steering is direct and light, and the SUV remains planted in corners, making driving well an easy job.

Because the entry-level model has great body control, high comfort levels and plenty of speed, you don't have to pay more for higher trims to find the sweet spot with this car.

The Ford Puma ST gives you a sporty drive in a compact package and for a pretty affordable price - £33k

5. Ford Puma ST

Price: from £33,000 

Proving you don't have to break the bank to get a sporty SUV, the Ford Puma ST crossover SUV is a compact package of performance, fun and impressive engineering.

It costs £33,000 – or you can spend £1,000 more to get the ST Edition version with ST handling packs, an exclusive blue colourway and black contrasts.

The Puma ST was unveiled in 2020, with orders starting in September/October of that year.

It is the last token of the combustion-powered Ford ST era, as the Fiesta ST and Focus ST are no more after both models were discontinued.

What makes it sporty?

The Puma ST carries the torch for the fantastic engineering that Ford's ST models have always delivered.

Everything is tuned with precision so that you can enter and exit corners with complete confidence – the ST grips like glue.

The 1-litre engine gives you 168bhp and 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds – so it is by no means the fastest sporty SUV on this list. 

However, it is absorbing, entertaining, and has just the right amount of rough-and-ready charm.

It looks the part, too, with the ST body styling kit, embossed splitter, red brake calipers, and dual chrome exhaust giving just the right amount of boy-racer design.

While it's not the most composed over rougher road surfaces, the handling is crisp and true, the driving position is brilliant considering it's not the tallest SUV, and the synthetic leather performance seats are not only extremely comfortable but also look cool.

With the Fiesta ST gone, this Fiesta-based crossover is a high-riding alternative that gives you a hot-hatch drive in a more practical package.