Once a common form of forced induction, the supercharger is rapidly disappearing from the American car market. Superchargers have a long history, which predates that of the turbocharger (early turbos were referred to as “turbosuperchargers” since they were viewed as a variant of the more common supercharger). However, as the turbocharger took over and became a common sight in new cars throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the supercharger’s popularity began to wane.
Related What Is A Supercharger?
How does a supercharger work and why do we use them?
The main reason was the supercharger’s poor fuel efficiency compared to the turbocharger. A supercharger is driven from the engine itself, sapping power away from it (a phenomenon known as parasitic loss), while a turbo recycles exhaust gasses, increasing the engine’s efficiency. Superchargers also tend to be larger, heavier, less reliable, and more expensive, all factors that contributed to their demise. In some cases, the supercharger survives as part of a twin-charging setup: a turbocharger and supercharger are combined in the same powertrain, overcoming each other’s weaknesses for the best possible power delivery.
If you’re on the market for a new SUV and are keen to buy a supercharged vehicle, your options are limited, but still in existence, at least for now. Here are the five supercharged SUVs you can still find on dealers’ lots in 2024.
In order to be eligible for this list, an SUV or crossover must be available for the 2024 or 2025 model years with a supercharged engine. These supercharged SUVs have been ordered from most to least powerful.
2024 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
The first car on the list, the Dodge Durango, is a model with a long history that still holds its own even in an increasingly crowded performance SUV segment. Tracing its origins back a quarter of a century, the Durango nameplate has been carried by three different generations, the latest having been on the market for fourteen years. However, as Dodge’s electrification program marches on and its iconic gas-powered muscle cars disappear from dealers’ lots, the Durango’s time on the market is also coming to an end, with its very own “Last Call” edition released to commemorate the model’s long history. That final edition may be naturally aspirated, but you can also still get the Durango SRT Hellcat, replete with a supercharger and a whole lot of power.
Engine6.2-liter supercharged V8 Power output710 hp Torque645 lb/ft 0-60 mph3.5 seconds Top Speed180 mph
The Hellcat suffix means exactly what you think it does – this is a three-row family SUV with the supercharged V8 from the Charger and Challenger Hellcat stuffed under the hood, here tuned to a gloriously 710 horsepower. Thanks to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and Quadratrac all-wheel drive, this hefty SUV leaps off the line with a 0-60 mph time of just 3.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 180 mph. It’s not often the National Hot Rod Association will certify an SUV’s quarter-mile time, but it’s done so here, with the Durango SRT Hellcat clocking 11.5 seconds. Not bad for something with space for the whole family.
2025 Cadillac Escalade-V
Next up is the Cadillac Escalade V: surprisingly, not a legacy model carried over from superchargers’ heyday, but a new project that only hit the market last year and has already received a major facelift for the 2025 model year. In the age of electrification, the Escalade-V might seem like an out-of-place anachronism at first glance; while its performance (0-60 in 4.4 seconds and a 12.74-second quarter-mile) might have once been eye-popping for an SUV, in today’s market there are several all-electric competitors, such as the Tesla Model X Plaid and the Rivian R1S, that can beat those figures without consuming massive amounts of fuel.
EngineSupercharged 6.2-liter V8 Power output682 hp Torque653 lb/ft 0-60 mph4.4 seconds Top Speed125 mph
However, the Escalade-V’s existence makes more sense when thinking of it simply as a fun send-off for internal combustion that turns every aspect of the driving experience up to 11. With the C7-generation Corvette Z07’s engine at its heart and an outrageously loud exhaust system, the Escalade-V is all about taking up space, literally and figuratively. The resulting fuel economy is, unsurprisingly, not great (11/16/13 mpg city/highway/combined), but the Escalade-V’s main purpose is not efficiency; it’s being the last bastion of supercharged, gas-guzzling old-school SUV motoring. A tweaked suspension setup that makes the car ever-so-slightly more nimble completes the V-Series package.
Add CarBuzz to your Google News feed.
Cadillac’s V-Series models celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2024, with the Escalade-V getting a special nod to the model’s history: a new cosmetic package that includes custom puddle lights, a grille decal, and a unique animation on the infotainment screen, plus an additional choice of paint color (“Black Diamond Tintcoat”).
Related Why Cadillac V Is The New Mercedes-AMG
They just don’t make ’em like this anymore.
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
The Jaguar F-Pace, along with its supercharged, V8-powered SVR variant, is being discontinued; as Jaguar’s electrification program is moving forward at a rapid pace, its gas-powered models are winding down, and the last F-Pace rolled off the production line at the automaker’s Castle Bromwich Plant in May this year. However, enough stock of the F-Pace was produced to see through 2024 and 2025 orders, keeping the model alive a little while longer during the transition period.
Engine5.0-liter supercharged V8 Power output542 hp Torque516 lb/ft 0-60 mph3.7 seconds Top Speed178 mph
V8s have a proud history with Jaguar, and in the F-Pace SVR, you can get a standard model with the 5.0-liter supercharged mill tuned to 542 hp (MY2024 only) or an even wilder beast for 2025: the F-Pace SVR 575, with 575 metric horsepower (567 hp in the US). Sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission; this propels the SVR from 0 to 60 in as little as 3.7 seconds, placing it in the same territory as the Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio (one of the SVR’s direct competitors, which completes the 0-60 run in just a tenth of a second less).
2024 Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover Defender combines off-roading prowess with passenger comfort like few other SUVs on the market, and while a wide range of powertrains is available, the supercharged V8 (which also makes it stand out as somewhat of a rarity among competitors) is the most powerful one by far (among off-road SUVs, specifically), passing the 500-hp mark in the V8 and Carpathian trims. As with all other powertrain options, in the V8-powered versions, an eight-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels.
EngineSupercharged 5.0-liter V8 Power output493 hp (SE) / 518 hp (V8 Edition/Carpathian Edition) Torque461 lb/ft 0-60 mph5.3 seconds Top Speed149 mph
A new addition for the 2024 model year is a variant of the Defender 130 equipped with the supercharged V8. The 130, first introduced for the 2023 model year, is an extended version of the Defender (13.38 inches longer, to be precise) with three rows of seating for eight occupants. If you’re not interested in having eight seats and additional cargo space but still want a V8-powered Defender, the Carpathian trim is the one to go for, with gloss-black 22-inch alloy wheels, black accents on the hood, roof, and doors, all-season tires, and LED headlights.
Supercharging won’t stick around forever here, and we’ve already seen a new V8 variant of the Defender, the Defender OCTA, powered by a BMW M-source twin-turbo V8 taking performance to new heights. It’s expected this engine will find its way into lesser Defender models in a detuned state, so if you love your Defenders supercharged, you better act quickly.
Related Go-Faster Off-Roader Battle: Land Rover Defender OCTA Vs. Mercedes-AMG G63
A showdown of off-road V8 luxury SUVs – who comes out on top?
2024 Volvo XC90
The next item on the list is Volvo’s luxury mid-size SUV, the XC90, which is still available with a supercharged engine despite superchargers being dropped from most of Volvo’s lineup. Volvo uses what’s known as twin-charging (an engine with both a supercharger and a turbocharger) to get the best of both worlds. The XC90’s smaller sibling, the XC60, had previously also been offered with this setup, but this stopped being the case after the 2022 model year.
Engine2.0-liter twin-charged inline-4 (plus 48-volt electric motor) Power output295 hp Torque310 lb/ft 0-60 mph6.4 seconds Top Speed112 mph (limited)
The twin-charged powertrain on offer for the XC90 is called the B6, which is available as an optional extra on the lower two trim levels (Core and Plus) but comes as standard on the highest trim (the Ultimate). The B6 powertrain includes a 2.0-liter twin-charged inline-four engine paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, producing a total output of 295 hp. In all trim levels, an eight-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels.
Supercharger fans who also want a hybrid option, however, are out of luck: the XC90 Recharge, the plug-in hybrid member of the lineup, is equipped with the T8 powertrain, which used to come with twin-charging like its B6 sibling. After 2022, though, the supercharger has been dropped from the T8, leaving just the turbocharger and hybrid system to assist the engine.
The Supercharged SUVs We’ve Lost
As superchargers fall out of favor with automakers, being replaced by turbochargers and hybrid systems, here are some of the supercharged SUVs that have been consigned to automotive history in recent years:
Volvo XC60 – The Volvo XC60 was once available with the B6 twin-charged engine, as well as the T8 twin-charged engine in its plug-in hybrid “Recharge” version. However, the B6 was discontinued two years ago, and the supercharger was dropped from the T8 at the same time, leaving it as a turbocharged-only engine. Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk – Between 2018 and 2021, the Jeep Grand Cherokee lineup included a high-performance version called the Trackhawk, powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8. However, when the fifth generation of the Grand Cherokee arrived in 2021, the Trackhawk was dropped from the lineup, signaling the end for the Hellcat-powered Jeep in an efficiency-focused, increasingly electrified era. Range Rover Velar – There have been variants of the Range Rover Velar equipped with a supercharged V6 or even a supercharged V8 in previous model years, however, its current version is only available with a choice of two non-supercharged engines: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 247 hp, or a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six producing 395 hp. Range Rover Sport – Like the Velar, the Range Rover Sport was also available with a supercharged V6 or a supercharged V8 in previous generations, but the option hasn’t been available since the model’s third generation arrived in 2023. The new powertrain options include a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six or a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, the latter sourced from BMW.