Heaviest cars on sale
Cars have been getting heavier and heavier over the years, and these are the bulkiest you can buy new right now
As cars continue to grow and electric models increasingly join the fray, weight figures are going up. If you’re looking at the heaviest cars currently available, there are now multiple options either over three tonnes, or not far off.
As you’ve probably guessed, these are overwhelmingly large vehicles with a luxury ethos. The size of these machines, their opulent, technology-laden interiors and, often, their large battery packs mean that hefty kerb weight figures are unavoidable.
The Mercedes EQS SUV tips the scales at 3,160kg with its electric powertrain built around a 108kWh battery - that’s six Caterham Sevens or three Suzuki Swifts. Electric cars don’t have a monopoly on big kerb weights though, and neither do SUVs. The Bentley Flying Spur Speed is right up there, for example, with its big battery and V8 making for a chunky weight figure.
SUVs as a whole do get branded as being unnecessarily big and heavy, and some at the very top end of the market probably are exactly that. It's worth remembering, though, that SUVs come in all sizes and weights and our list of the lightest cars on sale even includes a coupe.
The models in our list below are all UK cars but everything’s bigger in America and our largest, heaviest machines are made to look decidedly puny next to the biggest American market trucks, some of which do make it to our shores through unofficial imports. In their largest forms, petrol pick-up trucks such as the Chevrolet Silverado, Ram 3500 and Ford’s F450 all pass the 3,000kg kerb weight mark with the Ford actually knocking on the door of 4,000kg in Super Duty Crew Cab guise. Rivian’s RT1 electric truck weighs 3,870kg and GMC’s mighty Hummer EV tops the lot with a bridge-bending 4,111kg kerb weight.
In the UK, drivers who passed their test after the start of 1997 can only drive vehicles with gross vehicle weights up to 3,500kg. None of the UK cars below have gross vehicle weights beyond the 3,500kg barrier, but if you’re looking at these kerb weights with an eye on efficiency, it’s worth remembering that loading up with a full complement of passengers and luggage can see a car's total weight extend well beyond its kerb weight and efficiency dip accordingly.
Because of the heavier nature of electric cars, we’ve split our list into two parts covering the heaviest EVs and the heaviest combustion cars.
Heaviest electric cars
These are the EVs on sale today with the highest kerbweights…
| Make and model | Weight |
| Mercedes G580 EQ Technology | 3,160kg |
| Mercedes EQS 580 SUV | 3,107kg |
| Rolls-Royce Spectre II | 2,945kg |
| Bentley Torcal | 2,795kg |
| Range Rover Electric | 2,735kg |
| Volvo EX90 Twin Motor Performance | 2,689kg |
Keep scrolling to learn more about the heaviest electric cars, or click the jump links in the table above...
Mercedes G580 EQ Technology - 3,160kg
Three Mercs appear on this page, with the EV list topped by two cars from the brand. The bulkiest of the pair is the electric G-Class, which uses a whopping 116kWh battery pack. Funnily enough, stuffing all of those cells into a tough ladder chassis and hanging four electric motors on it makes for quite a heavy car. 579bhp and 1,164Nm of torque go some way to making up for the bulk, meaning this three-a-bit-tonne monster can still crack 62mph in 4.6 seconds.
Trying that out too often will see the range figure plummet, and as it is, the official figure is nothing special at 280 miles, showing just how much the G580’s mass and blunt aerodynamic profile hamper its efficiency.
Mercedes EQS 580 SUV - 3,107kg
The EQS 580 SUV is lighter than the G580, but there’s precious little in it. It has a similarly enormous 118kWh battery, although a much more slippery shape means it can go quite a bit further on a full charge - up to 400 miles according to the official figures. It’s far less visually distinctive, but has a comparable power output for an identical 4.6-second 0-62mph time. It’s quite a bit longer than its boxy sibling, stretching beyond five metres.
Rolls-Royce Spectre II - 2,945kg
Our first non-SUV on this list, but the Spectre is still absolutely massive. It’s a 5.5-metre-long behemoth that’s stuffed full of heavy wood and leather, a dizzying array of electric motors to adjust the seats, and, of course, a couple of much larger motors to get the car moving.
Like all the EVs listed here, the capacity of the battery powering said motors is comfortably above 100kWh. In fact, the latest version of the Spectre has a bigger, 112.4kWh battery, up from 102kWh. The system generates 592bhp and 1,015Nm of torque, so despite the Spectre weighing nearly three tonnes, it’ll still do 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds. If driven more carefully, it’ll go up to 390 miles on a full charge.
Bentley Torcal - 2,795kg
A fresh entrant to the heavy category that ticks all the right boxes. The Torcal, Bentley’s first EV, has a massive battery (113kWh), two large motors and all the bulky trappings you expect in a luxury car. It houses them in a five-metre-long SUV body.
The result of this is something that’s actually a lot lighter than the only slightly longer Mercedes EQS SUV, which is a surprise. And despite its tall proportions, the drag coefficient is decent at 0.269, helping the Bentley achieve a range of up to 375 miles. That’s less than the Merc, but then the Bentley is a lot pokier with 810bhp and 1,194Nm of torque, so despite its sheer mass, the S version can still crack 0-62mph in just 2.9 seconds.
Range Rover Electric - 2,735kg
After numerous delays, the Range Rover Electric is finally here. All 2.7 tonnes of it. If anything, we were expecting it to be heavier still. As it is, the Rangie EV is reasonably comparable to the plug-in hybrid versions of the SUV, despite packing a considerable 118.5kWh battery.
It’s some way off the Torcal’s performance with ‘just’ 542bhp and 850Nm of torque, but that’s still enough for 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds. The range figure is similar, meanwhile, at up to 372 miles.
Latest Range Rover Electric deals
Volvo EX90 Twin Motor Performance - 2,689kg
As a premium, seven-seater electric SUV, the Volvo EX90 is comparable to the Mercedes EQS SUV we spoke about earlier, but is a far better car overall. Not to mention a lighter one, despite hauling around a 106kWh battery pack, although at just under 2.7 tonnes, it’s not exactly a lightweight.
Like all the EVs here, it makes up for its bulk with a lot of power, with 680bhp making 0-62mph possible in just 4.2 seconds. When you’re not trying to replicate that, a range of up to 373 miles is theoretically possible.
Heaviest combustion cars
Cars with petrol or diesel engines can be heavy too, as these leviathans prove…
| Make and model | Weight |
| Ineos Grenadier | 2,816kg |
| Mercedes-Maybach GLS 580 | 2,810kg |
| Rolls-Royce Cullinan II Black Badge | 2,730kg |
| BMW XM 50e | 2,700kg |
| Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid Speed | 2,648kg |
Keep scrolling to learn more about the heaviest combustion cars, or click the jump links in the table above...
Ineos Grenadier Station Wagon - 2,816kg
The Ineos Grenadier is much too interested in being a tough off-roader to be lightweight. Even so, it might come as a shock that when combined with the ‘Station Wagon’ body style and the 3.0-litre diesel engine, the total figure comes close to three tonnes, placing it ahead of a few of the EVs mentioned further up.
Unlike those electric beasts, it doesn’t have the power to overcome its mass, with 249bhp making for a fairly leisurely 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds. The fuel economy is inevitably not brilliant, either, at 26.9mpg. That last time we tested one, we couldn’t even get close to that number.
Mercedes-Maybach GLS 580 - 2,810kg
Having abandoned the idea of making standalone-ish models in its current form (the 57 and 63 were still based on S-Class models), Mercedes now uses the Maybach brand more like a trim level. All the luxury kit these cars come with adds a lot of weight, so if you combine the Maybach schtick with the already heavy GLS 680, you get something rather heavy.
At 2,810kg, it’s only just behind the Ineos. With a flat-plane crank, 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8, it does at least have a bit more get-up-and-go. 0-62mph takes less than five seconds, but any gained speed will be lost in more frequent stops at the pumps - you might scrape 20mpg if you're really careful.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan II Black Badge - 2,730kg
Rolls-Royce has both the third-heaviest electric car and the third-heaviest combustion car currently on sale. Mind you, at getting on for 300kg less heavy than the Spectre II, you could call the Cullinan II Black Badge light. Almost.
The Cullinan switches the heavy battery pack and two motors for a 6.6-litre, twin-turbo V12, which is still a chunky thing. The Cullinan can’t quite manage 0-62mph in under five seconds, but 5.2 seconds is hardly slow. It’s the most painful car here in terms of fuel economy, managing just 17.3mpg.
BMW XM 50e - 2,700kg
After waiting decades to follow up the M1 with another bespoke car, BMW M brought us an ugly and heavy hybrid SUV that, for some reason, shares a name with an old Citroen. At 2.7 tonnes, it’s not far off the weight of two M1s.
Combining a big 25.7kWh battery with a 4.4-litre V8 and stuffing both in an SUV body was never going to result in lightness. With 644bhp and 450Nm, the XM does at least have enough power to overcome all that weight, with 0-62mph possible in 4.3 seconds.
Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid Speed - 2,648kg
When launched, the Bentley Flying Spur had a 6.0-litre W12, later joined by a 4.0-litre V8, which would eventually become the sole engine option. Then, at the facelift, the Flying Spur became exclusively available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
As seen with the XM, the big battery pack and V8 in a large luxury car combination makes for something quite heavy. The battery in the Flying Spur is a lot smaller at 14.1kWh, but that’s still enough to make it the fourth heaviest combustion car on sale. Thanks to a combined system power of 782bhp, it’s actually faster than the old pure combustion V8, though, with 0-62mph happening in just 3.5 seconds.
Latest Bentley Flying Spur deals
Heaviest cars on sale
| Make and model | Weight |
| Mercedes G-Class Electric G 580 EQ Tech AMG Line Prem+ | 3,160kg |
| Mercedes EQS SUV 580 AMG Line Premium+ 118kWh | 3,107kg |
| Rolls-Royce Spectre II Black Badge 112kWh | 2,945kg |
| Ineos Grenadier 3.0 TD Trialmaster X | 2,816kg |
| Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 | 2,810kg |
| Bentley Torcal 653kW S 113kWh | 2,795 kg |
| Range Rover Electric EV550 404kW SV Ultra LWB 119kWh | 2,735kg |
| Rolls-Royce Cullinan 544 Black Badge | 2,730kg |
| BMW XM 50e 5dr | 2,700kg |
| Volvo EX90 Twin Motor Performance Ultra 106kWh | 2,689kg |
| Porsche Cayenne Electric Coupe Turbo 113kWh | 2,650kg |
| Bentley Flying Spur 4.0 V8 Hybrid Speed | 2,648kg |
| BMW X7 xDrive M60i | 2,600kg |
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