The new breed of SUV: combining luxury style with rugged heft, on road and off.

Take four of the latest car-based, luxury SUVs and pretend they are horses in a dressage ring--the best of their breeds, commanding attention with their polish, stance, performance and, of course, their canter. With years of training under their girths and excellent genes, this class--the Porsche Cayenne, the Volkswagen Touareg, the Nissan Infiniti FX45 and the Cadillac SRX--is as agile as the operators who hold the reins.

What is unique about these SUVs is their combination of elegance and utility. Two of them, the Cayenne and the Touareg, are as comfortable slogging up to their wheel wells in mud as they are zooming down the highway, while the SRX and the FX45 are sturdy haulers. All four are downright pampering. The SRX offers the best gas mileage, but the differences in fuel efficiency among the four are negligible (see chart, facing page).

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Any of the purists who doubted Porsche's ability to build an SUV will admit their error after taking a few tight corners in the Cayenne. The handling of this big, heavy vehicle feels, well, like a Porsehe. The steering responds to the slightest input. Immune to body roll, the Cayenne holds its ground with confidence, on road or off. Both the Cayenne and the Touareg offer self-leveling air suspension for adjusting the height of the vehicle for different driving. And, true to the Porsche name, the Cayenne offers unrivaled power for an SUV: Thanks to a 450-horsepower twin-turbocharged engine, it can hit speeds exceeding 165 mph.

The Touareg packs a slightly less powerful punch--its 310-horsepower engine has slow initial pickup and a tendency to jolt the vehicle--but it handles smoothly once it hits full speed. Braking can be another story, however, as the disc brakes in the Touareg that I test drove were annoyingly grabby and the Cayenne squealed a bit when stopping.

Almost no one can touch Volkswagen, however, when it comes to selecting materials and finishing interiors, in this case with chrome accents finely complemented by dark wood and brushed aluminum. A General Motors vice chairman saw the Touareg's interior and said, "It looks like a dozen cabinetmakers have been at work for a month." Not only is VW compulsive about stitching and hinging and polishing, its designers have impeccable taste.

The Infiniti FX45 will do whatever necessary to provide sport. At 315 horsepower, it has plenty of heart, owing in part to a lighter body than the Touareg's. It is fast--almost as fast as the Cayenne--which is deceiving because its sporty styling lacks the classic sleek lines. And with 20-inch tires, this confident vehicle is sure-footed and responsive, although it can be a rather hard ride.

Just this side of funky with its brownish-orange leather, the Infiniti FX45 is rather aggressively styled, with aluminum foot pedals, a chrome-accented dash and a hard-edged steering wheel. There are thoughtful ideas, such as hinged map pockets on the front doors, but traditionalists will balk. The materials aren't as rich as the Touareg's and the Cayenne's. In short, the FX45 is cheeky fun, a blast if you like a powerful and choppy ride. But it may be better suited for the CEO of a successful startup than one who heads an old-line corporation.

Similarly, the cutting edges of the 320-horsepower SRX are much more about the future than the past. Tall and narrow is never the best formula for holding the road, but with the longest wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) of the bunch, the vehicle's handling doesn't suffer at all. Smooth through twists and turns, over hills and on flat road, this seamless ride defines the SRX. Its power will appeal more to the mature driver. That is not to say it isn't fun. It is, but closet hotdoggers are better suited for the FX45.

The SRX is part of Cadillac's ongoing renaissance. Product is back in the driver's seat at Cadillac, but it is going to take more refinement and fewer plastic parts to compete in this tall company. In its favor, the SRX has the most room both for cargo and passengers, including a third row of seats for children. While the Touareg and the FX45 are built for the driver who loves the feel of a sporty ride, the SRX, equipped with magnetic ride control, makes every pothole subtle. It comes with adjustable self-leveling shocks that raise the vehicle when you are carrying heavy loads or towing. But, as with the FX45, there is no way to change the ride height. So both of these SUVs, despite their heft, serve better as on-road cars.

Whatever their strengths and failings, you wouldn't be able to throw any of these pedigreed ponies out of your barn.

FORM AND FUNCTION

                                              MPG
                      Base Price  As Tested  City/Hwy

Porsche
Cayenne Turbo
4.5 liter V8, 450 hp
twin turbocharger     $88,900     $93,045    14/18
Cadillac SRX
4.6 Northstar V8,
320 hp                $46,595     $56,785    16/20
Infiniti FX45
4.5 liter V8,
315 hp                $44,375     $53,245    15/19
Volkswagen Touareg
4.2 liter V8,
310 hp                $40,700     $50,965    14/18