Welcome to MotorTrend’s 2027 SUV of the Year Competition: There’s a Lot to Unpack

It might not seem like it at first glance, but it’s difficult to make an SUV that ticks all the boxes. Some automobiles succeed by doing one thing exceptionally well, but an SUV with such a similarly narrow focus is bound to fail. Given the variety of drivers’ wants and needs, an automaker's challenge is creating an SUV that truly does it all.

Our 2027 SUV of the Year winner succeeds across that spectrum, balancing objective performance with subjective appeal while meeting the practical demands that define this segment. In doing so, it exemplifies what an SUV should be in 2027.

This is no small feat, given how ambiguous the definition of an SUV has become—and our 2027 SUVOTY field proves it. Among the 32 vehicles representing 23 nameplates are rugged off-roaders, sporty upstarts, reworked classics, elegant fastbacks, and tall wagons. Yet all adhere closely enough to established SUV archetypes to compete for our Golden Calipers trophy.

There’s no denying that industry tumult shaped this year’s field. These entrants indicate how automakers are reevaluating their approach to electrification. Some models are EV flagships, with cutting-edge range, charging, and dynamics representing years of work toward a hypothetical all-electric future. Others use combustion engines only, following familiar approaches that are a solid hedge if plugging in doesn’t become prevalent. Others still split the difference, using hybrid powertrains that rely on gasoline while integrating novel methods to reduce consumption of it.

For regular drivers, the upshot of these divergent strategies is a fantastic array of options.

MotorTrend’s approach to evaluating these contenders works regardless of what makes them go. Our six long-established criteria of value, efficiency, safety, advancement in design, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function can be applied to any SUV. We use them first to narrow the field to a selection of excellent finalists, then again to determine which best fulfills the ideal SUV mission.

Guest judge Gorden Wagener speaking to the MotorTrend team.

Allow us to tout our qualifications. This year’s judging panel consisted of nine longtime MotorTrend editorial staffers, with backgrounds in engineering, journalism, enthusiast interest, and consumer focus (plus one with a stint in pizza delivery). We also welcomed two highly experienced guest judges. Al “Mr. Camaro” Oppenheiser worked at General Motors for nearly 40 years and was chief engineer for many superb vehicles, including the Cadillac Escalade IQ, our 2026 SUVOTY winner. Gorden Wagener led design at Mercedes-Benz for almost three decades; several Wagener-designed models have achieved OTY victory.

SUVOTY begins at Hyundai’s proving ground, a vast research and development facility in the Mojave Desert north of our Los Angeles headquarters. Before judges arrive, our expert test team spends days there measuring key details of every contender, including acceleration, grip, range, and charging.

Armed with this data, our judges get to work. Starting out at the Hyundai Motor Group California Proving Ground allows us to assess each vehicle in a safe, controlled, and repeatable way on the ride road, handling circuit, and off-road course contained within the perimeter of its 6-mile high-speed oval. Near-nonstop driving ensues as judges make their way through contenders, generating reams of notes covering build quality, ingress and egress, user-friendliness, feel from behind the wheel, and so much more.

From there, we meet to pick finalists. We begin by eliminating SUVs that don’t measure up. Discussion and debate intensify as options narrow, and everyone leaves with a twinge of disappointment that a personal favorite didn’t make the cut. But we also leave in agreement that our finalists—this year, 10 vehicles between eight nameplates—have what it takes to win.

In the town of Tehachapi, famous for its unusual railway loop, we assess finalists on an approximately 28-mile course consisting of city streets, rolling hills, open highways, and a flowing canyon road. Again, the goal is repeatability, but the variables presented by real-world conditions always add nuance to our impressions.

After every judge has driven every finalist, we convene one last time to decide our winner. Now, the real examination begins. It goes far beyond simple likes and dislikes. Everything is laid out in the open: strengths against weaknesses, refinements against blemishes, cleverness against compromises. The six criteria guide our deliberations, and we ultimately put it all to a vote.

Our winner is one that accomplishes many things better than the rest, across the widest range of conditions and needs. In doing so, it defines what an SUV should be in 2027. Read our extended SUVOTY coverage to find out which vehicle claimed the Golden Calipers trophy.