Opinion: The Term ‘Sporty SUV’ Has Always Been an Oxymoron

I’m fortunate to own what is widely believed to be one of the greatest SUVs of all time – an 80 Series Land Cruiser from the mid-90s. It’s got an engine block the size of a small hatchback, a steering box that’s less responsive than tugging at the reins of a horse cart and handling to match. But it’s also indestructible, will take you to the ends of the earth and make you feel like the King of the world when you’re behind the wheel. Iconic? Sure. Sporty? Not in a million years.

You see, its ladder frame reveals that it’s more closely related to a Tata 407 than a Porsche Boxster. But the advent of the monocoque chassis SUV changed the game completely. It led to the development of models like the Porsche Cayenne, which – despite being very capable off-road – really did (and continues to) drive like a true Porsche. The success of the Cayenne almost singlehandedly rescued the brand and allowed it to continue to make one of the most iconic sports cars ever – the 911. Even Ferrari, with the Purosangue, has jumped onto the bandwagon – although even uttering the phrase SUV is likely to get you banned from Maranello.

Recently, to celebrate 60 years of Ferrari’s greatest rival, and next-door neighbour, Lamborghini, I got the chance to chase down a Huracan super sports car through the hills of Tuscany in an Urus Performante. 657 horsepower and scalpel-sharp handling meant that keeping up with perhaps the greatest analogue supercar on sale today was no problem at all, and it perfectly exemplified just how far “SUVs” have come.

Watch Video: Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica and Urus Performante Review | The Last ‘True’ Supercars?

But a sporty SUV isn’t unique to the most stratospheric end of the automotive spectrum, it’s now more mainstream then ever – as demonstrated by our cover story. After all, SUV sales now make up almost 50% of the Indian market, of which compact SUVs are by far the most popular.

Now the Jimny may not be based on a monocoque but it remains pure entertainment in a compact and rather attainable package. The trio it's pitted against here are all car-based compact SUVs that have driving dynamics more tailored to the boy racer than the Himalayan adventurer.

And if it’s the monocoque SUV that changed the game a couple of decades ago, it’s the modular EV skateboard platform that will define the driving dynamics of cars and SUVs going forward – which is to say that the line between what is and what isn’t an SUV is likely to get even more blurred as we charge into the electric age.