These Are the SUVs With the Best Interiors for 2026

From ultra-luxury to super-affordable, these models deliver interiors that truly stand out.

For all the attributes by which we evaluate a vehicle—powertrain, driving characteristics, exterior style—does anything really matter more than the interior? After all, this is the place where owners interact with their cars, and to us, a great SUV simply isn’t great if it has a lousy interior.

What are we looking for when we seek out the best SUV interiors? Everything: Space, materials quality, controls—the whole thing must be a cohesive whole that’s at once comfortable, attractive, and enjoyable to use. Is that too much to ask? Automakers achieve this sort of greatness all the time, as evidenced by the vehicles below. Here are a dozen SUVs available for sale today that we think have the best interiors going.

Genesis GV70

It’s pretty obvious where Hyundai-Kia’s posh sister brand got its design direction: Some executive pointed to a Bentley and said, “Do that.” The GV70, like most Genesis models, is awash in fine materials, with quilted upholstery (your choice of real leather or a convincing fake), metal, carbon fiber, and real wood used (mercifully) sparingly. Traditional? Yes, but Genesis also hangs its hat on being a high-tech brand, which is reflected in the GV70’s electronics, which feature bright, crisp screens and gauges with a nifty 3D effect. Buttons and dials are engineered to feel as expensive as they look. It’s been four years since the GV70 won MotorTrend’s SUV of the Year award, and yet it still has one of the best interiors in the compact luxury SUV space. British luxury cars have an alluring timelessness, and the Genesis GV70 captures that essence.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Genesis GV70

Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai has become quite the innovator when it comes to vehicle interiors, and the Santa Fe certainly needs innovation, as it’s a midsize SUV with three rows of seats—a format many automakers have tried and at which many have failed. Here, the Santa Fe does a commendable job, with a third row that has legitimate room for normal-size adults. As with the other Hyundais on this list, we love the styling. It’s no secret that the Santa Fe aims to give Land Rover vibes, and we love what Hyundai has done with the classic Rover beam dash. Like other Hyundais, the Santa Fe has abundant storage space, great screens, and easy-to-use controls for the climate controls. Style, sensibility and space, all in one useful SUV.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Hyundai Santa Fe

Cadillac Escalade IQ

The epic interior helped launch the Cadillac Escalade IQ to victory in our 2026 SUV of the Year competition. From the moment the power doors motor themselves open, the Escalade IQ’s interior wallops you with wow, primarily in the form of a 55-inch screen that stretches from pillar to pillar. The cabin of the electric luxury SUV is slathered in upscale materials, including beautiful stitched fabrics and leathers, textured aluminum, piano blacks that, for once, would be worthy of use on an actual piano, and genuine ash wood that’s been laser-etched so the 126-color ambient lighting system can be seen through it. An optional “executive” second row features seats that recline, massage, and have fold-away trays sturdy enough for a laptop. Add in an optional 40-speaker stereo and stretch-out space to spare, and you have one of the nicest interiors of any SUV, regardless of price.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Cadillac Escalade IQ

Hyundai Ioniq 9

When it comes to big, family-friendly SUVs, passenger space and comfort are more important than style, but the electric Hyundai Ioniq 9 provides both. The 9 takes advantage of its electric underpinnings by providing three adult-friendly rows, with a third-row seat that won’t have you sitting with your knees at eye level. Up front, the Ioniq 9 uses a modern wraparound screen layout for the instrument panel and infotainment system, while the climate controls use traditional dials and buttons. A flat floor and column-mounted transmission selector (which also incorporates the 9’s power switch) free up space between the passengers for added storage. The decor is modern, as you’d expect from the electric three-row SUVs of today, and even the entry-level models feature a variety of colors and materials that bring light and life to the cabin. It’s a lovely mix of space and splendor.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Hyundai Ioniq 9

Chevrolet Blazer EV

The Blazer EV is another SUV of the Year winner, and the electric Chevy’s cabin shows how well modern style and easy functionality can coexist. The standout elements are the Camaro-inspired round vents and the optional two-tone red-and-black interior trim offered in the SS model. But there’s great functionality here, too, centered around a configurable digital dash and a big, colorful infotainment screen. GM has taken the controversial path of eliminating phone mirroring (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), instead having users install apps to the car, which provides good integration (though whether updateable in-car tech can keep up with phone tech remains to be seen). More important, the fundamentals are here, as well: lots of storage space, impressive materials choices for the segment, and passenger and luggage room to spare.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Chevrolet Blazer EV

Lincoln Nautilus

You won’t be surprised to see another MotorTrend SUV of the Year winner (2025) on this list; after all, the interior of the Lincoln Nautilus was one of the primary reasons it won the award. The moment you climb in, the visuals overwhelm you—primarily the 48-inch screen that stretches from pillar to pillar. You can opt to nest in 24-way adjustable front seats, and the second row, while not as adjustable, is even more comfortable. There’s a built-in perfumer (for the interior, not the occupants) and a 28-speaker Revel stereo. Lincoln even has a Rejuvenate mode that uses all these functions to help relax you when the car is parked. We believe the interior of a midsize luxury SUV should feel like an oasis, and Lincoln takes that to the extreme.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Lincoln Nautilus

Ford Bronco Sport

Compact SUVs are the bestselling vehicles in America right now, so you’d think they’d be a bastion of interior innovation. You’d think wrong. Mundane, we’ve-always-done-it-this-way interiors are the rule in this segment, but the Ford Bronco Sport is—well, if not exactly a bright spot, certainly brighter than its surroundings. The basic dash layout is simple and sound, and Ford has made good use of materials and colors to differentiate the various trim levels and give all of them, even the least expensive model, an upscale feel. Helpful touches abound, like easy-to-clean rubberized flooring, swiveling LED lamps in the cargo bay, and even an integrated bottle opener. The top-of-the-line Badlands models get zippered seat-back pockets and hidden storage beneath the rear seat. The stepped roof gives the Bronco Sport excellent rear-seat room, especially given this SUV’s easy-to-park interior dimensions. The Bronco Sport shows the sort of interior innovation we’d like to see on more SUVs in this popular class.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Ford Bronco Sport

Hyundai Kona

One of many things we like about the Hyundai Kona is its eye-catching style, which extends to the interior. The Kona’s cabin shows that one can have futuristic styling without abandoning bedrock principles, like sensibly laid out switchgear that’s clearly labeled and easy to use. Hyundai packaged the Kona’s interior so that the controls are where most drivers expect to find them, arranged to allow maximum space for people and the stuff they bring. The screens provide crisp graphics and smooth animations, and creative use of color and texture demonstrates how an interior can have an upscale feel without using exotic (read: expensive) materials. This is an interior that looks good, works well, and offers plenty of space, and the fact that it comes in one of Hyundai’s more affordable SUVs is a lovely bonus.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Hyundai Kona

Rivian R1S

The new breed of electric automakers has started to redefine how we interact with our cars, and Rivian, with its R1T pickup truck and follow-on R1S SUV, is among those great innovators. Rivian puts virtually all controls (save the steering wheel and pedals) on the center screen, with a crisp, good-looking, and user-friendly interface designed to mimic how we interact with our phones and tablets. OK, maybe the screen-only thing goes a bit too far on occasion; air vents that can only be adjusted through the screen still strike us as a ridiculous idea. Still, we love this new way of interacting with our SUVs. And unlike other automakers (coughTeslacough) who design their interiors with cost-saving minimalism, the Rivian R1S has comfortable seats and rich design elements that rival traditional luxury brands.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Rivian R1S

Volkswagen Taos

In contrast to the Rivian R1S, the interior of the Volkswagen Taos is entirely conventional, but the top-of-the-line Taos SEL reminded us how nice a traditional interior can be. Dressed up in two contrasting shades with lovely metallic trim, the Taos’ interior is trimmed out as if VW were a luxury brand, and that extends to the basic S model as well as the top-of-the-line SEL trim. Being a subcompact SUV, the Taos makes sensible use of its interior space, with a roomy back seat and generous cargo bay. While its interior isn’t especially innovative, the controls are easy to find, and it looks good, a reminder that sometimes the old ways are—well, if not the best, certainly pretty good.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Volkswagen Taos

Infiniti QX60 Autograph

Autograph is Infiniti’s top-end trim level, and the QX60 Autograph illustrates why we’re fans. The materials, including quilted leather on the seats and open-pore with a laser-etched metal inlay, are top-notch. The cabin is quiet, and the 20-speaker Klipsch stereo is a great way to fill it with noise. The crisp screens run a Google-based OS, so you can download apps directly to the car rather than using a phone. There are separate and well-marked controls for the stereo and climate control systems. Room in the first and second rows is generous, though the third row is tight on space. What clinches the QX60 a space on this list is the price: The Autograph model starts just over $68,000, making it a bargain compared to many of its luxe-brand rivals.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Infiniti QX60

Bentley Bentayga

What makes the Bentley Bentayga so special is not just the opulence of its private-jet accommodations, but the sheer level of customization it offers buyers. From the colors of the leather and carpet to stitching, trim, and even seat belts, you can create your own Bentayga, and you’re not limited to the choices you see on the Bentley site configurator. Through the Mulliner Bespoke program, you can get pretty much anything you can dream up (and afford), including custom paint colors, fabrics, and veneers. Want to incorporate the trunk of the tree your great-grandfather cut down in 1907 into the wood trim on your Bentagya’s dash? It can be done. Other SUVs on this list approach the Bentayga’s level of opulence, but few let you create your own environment to the degree Bentley does.

Read Our Experts’ Review of the Bentley Bentayga