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The 10 Most Powerful American SUVs: 2025 Rankings and Historic Gas Rivals

The Rivian R1S Quad Motor tops The Car Guide’s 2025 SUV comparison at 1,025 hp. The Durango SRT Hellcat leads Dodge’s gasoline-only claim at 710 hp, while the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a close historical rival.
Entry099 Date Time4 min MechanicCarCody Team
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On the published 2025 comparison, the Rivian R1S Quad Motor leads at 1,025 hp, just ahead of the Tesla Model X Plaid at 1,020 hp. That makes the R1S the highest-output SUV in that comparison—not a proven all-time winner across every production SUV ever built. Include electric models and the ranking is dominated by them; limit the question to gasoline SUVs and Dodge says its 710-hp Durango SRT Hellcat is the most powerful gas-engine SUV.

What counts as an “American SUV,” and how definitive is this list?

“American” can refer to a brand, a company’s headquarters, or where a vehicle is assembled. The available comparison does not define the term by assembly location, and it does not establish a complete historical census. The ranking below therefore follows The Car Guide’s 2025 comparison of series-produced SUVs, with one model or trim per vehicle, rather than claiming a definitive count of every SUV ever built. Its figures are the publication’s reported specifications, not a common independent test.

Horsepower figures also are not necessarily measured or presented on the same basis. Some electric models’ headline outputs depend on a named performance mode; for the Escalade IQ, the comparison specifies Max Velocity mode, while the Blazer EV SS figure is in Wide Open Watts mode. Treat the numbers as published outputs, not as results from one standardized test protocol.

The 10 highest outputs in The Car Guide’s 2025 comparison

These are the ten entries and figures in the order published by The Car Guide in 2025. The output and performance figures below are attributed to that publication unless noted otherwise.

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Rank SUV and trim Powertrain Published output Relevant qualification
1 Rivian R1S Quad Motor Battery-electric 1,025 hp The Car Guide also reports 1,198 lb-ft and 0–100 km/h in 2.6 seconds.
2 Tesla Model X Plaid Battery-electric 1,020 hp The Car Guide reports 0–100 km/h in 2.6 seconds.
3 GMC Hummer EV3X SUV Battery-electric 833 hp The Car Guide reports 1,206 lb-ft.
4 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring Battery-electric 828 hp The Car Guide reports 909 lb-ft.
5 Cadillac Escalade IQ Battery-electric 750 hp The Car Guide gives 680 hp as standard output and 750 hp in Max Velocity mode.
6 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Gasoline 710 hp The Car Guide’s figure is consistent with Dodge’s current product page.
7 Cadillac Escalade-V Gasoline 682 hp Figure reported by The Car Guide.
8 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS AWD Battery-electric 615 hp Reported in Wide Open Watts mode.
9 Jeep Wagoneer S Battery-electric 600 hp Figure reported by The Car Guide.
10 Cadillac Lyriq AWD Battery-electric 515 hp Figure reported by The Car Guide.

Eight of the ten entries are electric. The gap between the top two is only 5 hp in this published comparison, so the ranking should not be read as a large practical performance difference—particularly without a common test method. The Car Guide’s figures for the eight models other than the Durango were not independently corroborated here against manufacturer specification pages.

Which American SUV has the most horsepower?

Including electric SUVs, the answer in The Car Guide’s 2025 comparison is the Rivian R1S Quad Motor at 1,025 hp. The comparison places the Tesla Model X Plaid second at 1,020 hp. These are the source’s listed figures, not independently tested outputs or a conclusive all-time ranking.

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For gasoline SUVs, Dodge’s current Durango performance page lists the SRT Hellcat at 710 hp and calls it the most powerful gas-engine SUV. That is Dodge’s gasoline-only claim; it does not make the Durango the highest-horsepower SUV when electric models are included. The manufacturer lists a supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8, 645 lb-ft, a stated 0–60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, and up to 8,700 pounds of towing when properly equipped. These are manufacturer specifications and claims, not independent test results. See Dodge’s Durango performance page.

How the Durango Hellcat compares with the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is an important historical gasoline-powered rival, but its archived 2018 press kit lists it at 707 hp and 645 lb-ft—3 hp below the Durango Hellcat’s 710 hp. The same kit lists the Grand Cherokee SRT at 475 hp and 470 lb-ft. These are historical manufacturer figures, not a complete account of production years or a current-market comparison. See the Stellantis 2018 Grand Cherokee press-kit archive.

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Dodge’s 2026 lineup announcement lists the Durango SRT Hellcat at 710 hp and an announcement starting price of $79,995. That is a model-year starting MSRP claim, not a dealer quote or a transaction price; prices and availability can vary. See Dodge’s 2026 Durango lineup announcement.

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Why the original “most powerful SUV ever” claim needs a date

When Dodge announced the 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat, Stellantis reported 710 hp, an NHRA-certified quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.5 seconds, and a top speed of 290 km/h. The release described the 2021 model as planned for one model year only. That production plan was not the final story: later Dodge announcements show the Hellcat returned in subsequent model years.

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The release quoted Tim Kuniskis, then identified as an FCA North America executive, calling the 710-horsepower Hellcat “the most powerful SUV ever.” That was a historical Dodge/FCA claim in the 2020 announcement, before electric SUVs with higher published outputs feature in the 2025 comparison. It is accurate to present it as a period-specific gasoline-SUV claim, not as an unqualified present-day superlative across all powertrains. See the Stellantis announcement for the 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat.

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How to read “most powerful” claims

  • Check the powertrain category. A gasoline-only superlative and an all-powertrain ranking answer different questions.
  • Keep the trim and mode attached to the number. The Escalade IQ and Blazer EV SS figures in the comparison specify performance modes.
  • Keep the source and date attached to the ranking. The Car Guide’s figures describe its 2025 comparison; the Trackhawk number comes from a 2018 press-kit archive.
  • Do not treat horsepower as a complete performance score. Acceleration, towing, vehicle weight, traction and how output is delivered matter too. The cited figures alone do not provide a standardized basis for comparing them.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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