9 SUVs that still come with a V8 under the hood

Full-size V8 power has not vanished from the SUV market, even as most automakers push turbocharged six-cylinder engines and hybrid systems across their lineups. A handful of holdouts keep a V8 under the hood for towing muscle, off-road torque, or brand identity. These nine SUVs represent that shrinking eight-cylinder club.

1. Chevrolet Tahoe: Standard V8 Muscle

The Tahoe’s base engine lineup still includes a 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 rated near 355 horsepower, making eight-cylinder power the standard choice rather than a paid upgrade like it is on most competing full-size SUVs today. General Motors has kept the small-block architecture in production for decades, refining it with direct injection and cylinder deactivation to hold down fuel costs without dropping displacement.

Buyers who want more towing torque can step up to a 6.2-liter V8 on higher trims, a rarity as rivals shift toward turbocharged six-cylinder engines to meet efficiency targets. Chevrolet also sells a diesel inline-six for shoppers who prioritize highway mileage over outright power.

2. GMC Yukon: Small-Block Power

GMC’s full-size Yukon mirrors its Chevrolet cousin with a standard 5.3-liter V8, and the Denali and AT4 trims offer a stronger 6.2-liter version rated well above 400 horsepower. Both engines share GM’s small-block family, giving the Yukon the same underlying hardware as the Tahoe and Escalade beneath its own styling and interior.

The larger engine adds meaningful towing capacity, a selling point for owners hauling boats, campers, or horse trailers rather than just commuting around town. GMC positions the bigger V8 as a premium option reserved for its higher-trim, higher-margin models.

3. Cadillac Escalade: Signature V8 Feel

Cadillac’s flagship SUV ships with a 6.2-liter V8 as its standard powertrain, producing roughly 420 horsepower without any turbocharging or electrification helping it along. That naturally aspirated character has been part of the Escalade’s identity since the nameplate shifted toward its own distinct platform and design language years ago.

A diesel inline-six is offered as an efficiency alternative, but the V8 remains the engine most buyers pick for the brand’s signature power feel and sound. Cadillac markets the V8 heavily in Escalade advertising, treating it as part of the vehicle’s luxury identity rather than a mere spec.

4. Chevrolet Suburban: Long-Body Hauler

Chevrolet’s extended-length Suburban carries the same 5.3-liter V8 as the Tahoe, with a 6.2-liter upgrade available for heavier towing needs and higher payload demands. As one of the longest-running nameplates in the American auto industry, the Suburban has offered a V8 option in nearly every generation it has produced.

The longer body adds curb weight, so owners who tow trailers regularly often choose the bigger engine over the base setup to keep towing capacity comfortable. Fleet buyers and large families both continue to favor the V8 versions for their added margin of power.

5. Dodge Durango: Hemi Punch

The Durango R/T runs a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, while the SRT performance trim steps up to a 6.4-liter Hemi making around 475 horsepower and a distinctly muscle-car exhaust note. Dodge has leaned on Hemi branding for years, carrying the same engine family across its cars and trucks before most of those Hemi-powered models were discontinued.

It is one of the few three-row SUVs still sold with genuine muscle-car power, a distinction Dodge leans into heavily for marketing and enthusiast appeal. That performance positioning has helped the Durango stand apart from more efficiency-focused three-row competitors.

6. Jeep Wagoneer: Hemi Before Downsizing

The Wagoneer launched with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 standard and a 6.4-liter Hemi on its Trail Boss model, per Jeep’s own specifications for the nameplate’s modern revival. The V8 gave the full-size SUV strong towing figures right out of the gate, a priority for the segment it competes in against Chevrolet and Ford.

Stellantis has signaled a broader shift toward inline-six Hurricane engines across its lineup, so the V8’s future on this nameplate looks limited going forward. Owners who want the Hemi may need to buy sooner rather than wait for a later model year.

7. Mercedes-Benz G-Class: Boxy Icon, Twin-Turbo V8

The G550 uses a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 near 443 horsepower, and the AMG G63 variant pushes the same block past 577 horsepower for one of the most powerful production SUVs sold today. The G-Class has kept its boxy, decades-old body design largely intact even as the engineering underneath has been modernized repeatedly.

The boxy off-roader has kept its V8 heart even as Mercedes electrifies much of the rest of its lineup with hybrid and battery-electric models. An electric G-Class variant now exists alongside it, but the V8 versions remain the top sellers in the range.

8. Range Rover: BMW V8 Power

Land Rover’s flagship offers a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 on its P530 and P530e trims, replacing the supercharged V8 that powered earlier generations of the nameplate. The switch to a BMW-built engine came after Land Rover retired its own supercharged V8 program in favor of an outside supplier partnership.

The switch kept eight-cylinder power available for buyers who want it without abandoning V8 character altogether as rivals move toward six-cylinder-only lineups. A plug-in hybrid version of the same V8 adds electric assistance for extra low-end torque.

9. Lexus GX: Durable V8 Legacy

The previous-generation GX460 ran a naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V8 for well over a decade, prized by owners for its simple, durable design shared with Toyota’s body-on-frame Land Cruiser platform. That long production run let the engine earn a reputation among off-road and overlanding communities for shrugging off high mileage.

The redesigned GX has since moved to a twin-turbo six-cylinder, but the older V8 version’s reliability reputation still shapes demand and resale values for used models on the market. Shoppers seeking that specific V8 dependability often search out the outgoing generation instead of the newer one.