Top Gear US SUV Awards: Ford Expedition Tremor, Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Tesla Model Y and Cadillac Lyriq-V

The definition of a modern SUV has become decidedly loose. A separate chassis and permanent four-wheel drive are no longer prerequisites for admission; a modestly elevated driving position is often enough to secure membership of the congregation… sorry, the club.

That does not mean body-on-frame construction has disappeared. Pick-ups remain hugely popular in the US, preserving this format and creating a platform for numerous related SUVs. Our assorted line-up contains two examples built that way.

Before getting to them, here is why these vehicles have been assembled. These are Top Gear’s first US Awards and, with SUVs representing around half of all new-car purchases in the States, the raised-riding class deserved a category of its own. Each contender has either launched or received major revisions for US buyers during roughly the last 12 months. Petrol, hybrid and electric power are all eligible: this is an unrestricted contest.

Photography: John Wycherley

Ford Expedition Tremor and Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter: traditional SUV muscle

If sheer size decided the result, the Ford Expedition Tremor would have won before the award had properly begun, with the entire TG team able to climb aboard for the journey back to the airport. Using the F-150’s chassis, it is Ford’s biggest US SUV. Almost: the long-wheelbase Expedition Max is nearly 300mm longer than the regular 5.33m Expedition tested here. Blimey.

With its upright, slab-sided styling and capacity for as many as eight occupants, the regular-length fifth-generation Expedition is available in this adventure-focused Tremor specification. It brings 838mm all-terrain tyres, smaller 457mm wheels, an electronically locking rear differential, off-road driving modes, and underbody skid plates at both ends, ready for family expeditions involving everyone’s friends too. From $81,350, the Tremor also comes with the more powerful 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission, producing 440hp and a substantial 691Nm of torque. It needs that output: this SUV weighs approximately 2,630kg and can tow 4,350kg.

Despite its bulk, the V6 gives the Expedition surprisingly brisk acceleration. The 10-speed automatic is rather lethargic, however, which dulls its progress, and substantial body lean arrives whenever a bend appears. Although the Tremor’s soft suspension delivers a reasonably comfortable ride, its brake pedal is too aggressive and the steering is astonishingly light. Making matters worse is the absurdly compact squircle steering wheel, seemingly borrowed from the related Lincoln Navigator. Any Europeans present? It is rather like piloting a double-decker bus using the wheel from a current Peugeot 208.

Curiously, the Expedition misses out on the Navigator’s enormous 1.22m panoramic display, although its cabin is exceptionally practical, as it ought to be in something this vast. Tremor models have two captain’s chairs as standard in the second row, while a three-person bench can be specified for an additional $595. There is a huge sliding centre console and a handy split tailgate, but far too few proper physical controls.

Physical switches are emphatically not in short supply in the other traditional SUV here, the Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter. Its cockpit is covered in buttons and rotary controls: there is a dedicated climate-control panel, numerous media and assistance buttons on the steering wheel, plus plenty of serious off-road controls on the centre console. Chunky grab handles and tough-looking forms feature throughout, though much of the interior is fashioned from disappointingly cheap plastic.

From the outside, it looks absolutely brilliant. Perhaps it even surpasses the Land Cruiser? That could be considered heresy. In any case, Trailhunter is the adventure-ready specification, so it shares the Ford’s 838mm all-terrain tyres and 457mm alloy wheels. Toyota finishes those sturdy wheels in bronze as standard, instantly making the Trailhunter 10 times cooler. It also gets hefty plastic wheel arches, a heritage-style grille, an integrated air compressor, steel underbody protection, Old Man Emu dampers, an ARB roof rack and Rigid Industries LED fog lamps. This is clearly the trim for people who appreciate a branded accessory.

Trailhunter also appeals to the inner car-mad child, because its standard equipment includes a snorkel that makes the hybrid-assisted 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder sound like a fully lit 2JZ at maximum boost. Lower the window, plant the accelerator, then wait for the whoosh. It gets me every time.

Objectively, the 4Runner has shortcomings. In hybrid form, it has only five seats despite its considerable footprint, and the rear bench is cramped even with that limitation. Its large tyres make the road ride unsettled, the brake pedal communicates nothing, and the four-cylinder engine feels rather undernourished for a vehicle of this weight and scale. Its stated 323hp looks acceptable on paper, but meaningful pace requires hard work from both engine and 8-speed automatic. At least, that was my justification while becoming overexcited by the induction sound. I genuinely fell for the 4Runner, especially a Trailhunter with mud plastered along its sides, yet while the basic model costs $41,000, this version begins just below $70k. It is simply too uncouth on the road to claim the overall SUV award.

Electric SUV contenders: Hyundai Ioniq 9, Tesla Model Y and Cadillac Lyriq-V

As with the Toyota, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 raises an unexpected practicality concern. It feels much too large for the UK, though its dimensions make more sense on America’s broader roads. Heavy, hushed and softly sprung, it rolls through corners, but North America does not contain an overwhelming number of those, so the overall experience is akin to a sensory-deprivation tank on wheels. It does at least have steering-wheel paddles for altering regenerative-braking strength while driving, which immediately makes it more involving than the smaller, and slightly lighter, Tesla Model Y.

That is not to suggest Tesla has failed to enhance its best-seller with the latest facelift. Dynamically, it has improved enormously. Its steering offers far more sensation than the Mk1 Model Y, while its response to larger bumps finally carries some polish. Extra sound insulation also cuts wind and tyre noise, meaning it can now reasonably be described as refined. It remains short of the near-silent Hyundai in this respect, but revisions including a rear-floor die-casting that reduces the part count from 70 to one have made it a considerably more convincing proposition. The dual-motor Ioniq 9 has a maximum range of 311 miles, whereas this ‘Premium AWD’ Tesla manages an EPA-estimated 327 miles. Impressive.

In this twin-motor configuration, the Model Y also develops 375hp and covers 0-97km/h in 4.6 seconds. Ask too much of it on a twisting road, though, and it still defaults to abundant, cautious understeer. Numerous adjustments lie buried in the touchscreen menus, covering accelerator response, regeneration settings and steering weight. Yet none of these combinations makes the Model Y especially absorbing. It continues to feel like a highly capable appliance. For an electric SUV you may genuinely choose to drive for enjoyment, the Cadillac Lyriq-V is the strongest choice in this group.

The production-specification standard Lyriq was revealed as far back as April 2021 and, according to TG’s local correspondent Alex Kalogiannis, its generous accommodation and smooth ride have made it the preferred upmarket airport taxi in the US. The newly launched V seeks to overturn that reputation with 615hp and 881Nm of torque…

Activate its splendidly named Velocity Max launch setting and it will reach 97km/h in 3.3 seconds, before continuing to a 209km/h maximum speed. It never seems nauseatingly quick, probably because it weighs nearly 2,700kg, but the figures make it Cadillac’s fastest-ever model and there is ample thrust to exploit. Crucially, adaptive dampers and sizeable Brembo brakes ensure it remains composed when a corner eventually arrives. The steering provides an unexpectedly useful amount of feedback, and while its ride is relatively firm, not helped by the V’s standard 559mm wheels, it repays you by staying level through bends.

Tesla’s new 460hp Model Y Performance makes a compelling case against the Cadillac. It matches the 0-97km/h time and costs $20k less, yet I still do not find it as entertaining as the Lyriq-V. Cadillac’s ‘Regen On Demand’ is a single steering-wheel paddle that increases deceleration the further it is pulled. Combine it with ‘Competitive Mode’ and the result is rather effective: some stability-system intervention is relaxed, while torque vectoring determines how to locate the greatest available grip. Naturally, continually calling on more than 600bhp may prevent you achieving the stated 285 miles of range, but it is authentically enjoyable when the occasion calls for it. There is even a selection of simulated ‘engine’ sounds played through the elaborate AKG 23-speaker sound system.

Cabin space, technology and the Cadillac Lyriq-V verdict

Returning to the Ioniq 9’s problem, this particular car is the expensive range-topping Calligraphy Design version, priced from $76,490, and fitted with the six-seat arrangement. Its interior packaging is somewhat compromised. With every seat occupied, boot space is not especially generous, while second-row legroom is also less than brilliant, particularly when people are using the third row and the middle-row chairs have been moved forwards. Given the Ioniq 9’s size, I had anticipated executive-saloon levels of room.

The Tesla has ample space for five adults, but despite its quick, high-resolution touchscreen, I could not live with such a stripped-back cabin every day. By contrast, the Lyriq-V’s interior is a pleasant surprise. Premium finishes include Nappa leather upholstery, and there are real buttons plus a separate climate-control panel despite the augmented-reality navigation and curved 838mm LED display. That screen uses the excellent Google Built-in system, making it straightforward to operate, while a proper rotary controller caters for anyone who misses BMW’s superb iDrive.

To my eye, the Cadillac is also cooler-looking than every other car assembled here. Except, naturally, for the rough-and-ready Toyota. The Tesla is extraordinarily bland to look at, while the Hyundai executes the futuristic-spaceship approach rather well, but the Lyriq-V still reads clearly as an SUV while adding restrained performance details and genuinely striking lighting signatures.

The Cadillac takes this test because of its real breadth of ability. It is enjoyable to drive, comfortable over distance, highly practical and straightforward to use. It proved a welcome surprise to us Brits, and since Cadillac continues to say a European/UK introduction is planned, we are fairly certain the Germans will be paying attention. This could upset a few people.