How AI wants luxury suvs & 4x4s
Toyota is the most desired luxury suvs & 4x4s brand the answers name: Desire 78% of maximum, above indifference. 50% of the 34 brands rated sit above indifference; the rest leave the models indifferent. The category is most divided on emotional magnetism. The brand the answers name most often is Mercedes-Benz, not the category's market leader.
34 brands rated · 30 named in the answers · 60 AI answers behind presence · rated by ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
Indices: 100 = the average brand in the same category.Indices: 100 = the average brand across every category in the index. Desire % and status are absolute and read the same either way.
Every brand, named first
50% above indifference · 50% indifferent · 0% below · 34 brands
| # | Brand | Desire index | Desire % | Status | Attraction | Affinity | Attachment | Summary | Named in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota | 122130 | 78% | Above indifference | 114128 | 131136 | 122127 | Ahead on all threeAhead on all three | 12% |
| 2 | Rolls-Royce | 121129 | 77% | Above indifference | 122137 | 120124 | 119124 | Ahead on all threeAhead on all three | 7% |
| 3 | Lexus | 119127 | 76% | Above indifference | 110124 | 125130 | 121126 | Ahead on all threeAhead on all three | 5% |
| 4 | Porsche | 118126 | 76% | Above indifference | 124140 | 112115 | 119124 | Ahead on all threeAhead on all three | 25% |
| 5 | BMW | 117125 | 75% | Above indifference | 118133 | 113116 | 120124 | Ahead on all threeAhead on all three | 35% |
| 6 | Mercedes-Benz | 116124 | 74% | Above indifference | 113127 | 115119 | 120125 | Ahead on all threeAhead on all three | 37% |
| 7 | Volvo | 115123 | 74% | Above indifference | 106120 | 126130 | 115119 | Credible, not first choiceAhead on all three | 13% |
| 8 | Bentley | 112120 | 72% | Above indifference | 116131 | 109113 | 111115 | Chosen, not lovedAhead on all three | 13% |
| 9 | Lamborghini | 110117 | 70% | Above indifference | 124140 | 9699 | 108113 | Noticed, not returned toChosen, not loved | 7% |
| 10 | Škoda | 109116 | 70% | Above indifference | 104117 | 114117 | 110114 | Credible, not first choiceAhead on all three | 2% |
| 11 | Tesla | 108115 | 69% | Above indifference | 110123 | 9599 | 119124 | Chosen, not lovedChosen, not loved | 2% |
| 12 | Audi | 108115 | 69% | Above indifference | 105118 | 108112 | 112117 | Relied on, not excitingAhead on all three | 23% |
| 13 | Kia | 107114 | 69% | Above indifference | 104117 | 112116 | 105109 | Credible, not first choiceNoticed, not returned to | 7% |
| 14 | Hyundai | 106113 | 68% | Above indifference | 102115 | 110114 | 106110 | Credible, not first choiceAhead on all three | 5% |
| 15 | Aston Martin | 106113 | 68% | Above indifference | 115130 | 9598 | 108112 | Noticed, not returned toChosen, not loved | 10% |
| 16 | Subaru | 106113 | 68% | Above indifference | 102115 | 111115 | 104108 | Credible, not first choiceNoticed, not returned to | 5% |
| 17 | Land Rover | 103110 | 66% | Indifferent | 106119 | 9598 | 109113 | Average on all threeChosen, not loved | 23% |
| 18 | Volkswagen | 98105 | 63% | Indifferent | 96108 | 97100 | 102106 | Average on all threeAverage on all three | 8% |
| 19 | Ford | 97104 | 62% | Indifferent | 95107 | 96100 | 101105 | Average on all threeAverage on all three | 10% |
| 20 | Cupra | 97103 | 62% | Indifferent | 99112 | 9699 | 9598 | Average on all threeNoticed, not returned to | 2% |
| 21 | Jeep | 97104 | 62% | Indifferent | 102114 | 9396 | 97101 | Average on all threeNoticed, not returned to | 2% |
| 22 | Jaguar | 9096 | 58% | Indifferent | 93104 | 8588 | 9397 | Noticed, not returned toNoticed, not returned to | 2% |
| 23 | Alfa Romeo | 9096 | 58% | Indifferent | 98110 | 8184 | 9195 | Noticed, not returned toNoticed, not returned to | 3% |
| 24 | Peugeot | 9096 | 57% | Indifferent | 8697 | 96100 | 8690 | Liked, not chosenLiked, not chosen | 2% |
| 25 | Maserati | 8995 | 57% | Indifferent | 92104 | 8385 | 9194 | Noticed, not returned toNoticed, not returned to | 2% |
| 26 | Ineos | 8287 | 52% | Indifferent | 8495 | 8487 | 7780 | Behind on all threeNoticed, not returned to | 5% |
| 27 | Cadillac | 8287 | 52% | Indifferent | 8292 | 8487 | 8083 | Behind on all threeNoticed, not returned to | 3% |
| 28 | Isuzu | 7883 | 50% | Indifferent | 7483 | 8790 | 7275 | Behind on all threeBehind on all three | 5% |
| 29 | Dodge | 7681 | 49% | Indifferent | 8899 | 7173 | 6972 | Behind on all threeNoticed, not returned to | 2% |
| 30 | Lincoln | 6772 | 43% | Indifferent | 6371 | 7780 | 6164 | Behind on all threeBehind on all three | 2% |
Rated but never named (4)
The models rated these brands when asked, but none of the category's answers named them.
| # | Brand | Desire index | Desire % | Status | Attraction | Affinity | Attachment | Summary | Named in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Mazda | 110117 | 70% | Above indifference | 111125 | 113117 | 106110 | Credible, not first choiceAhead on all three | 0% |
| — | Nissan | 96102 | 61% | Indifferent | 92104 | 97100 | 98102 | Average on all threeAverage on all three | 0% |
| — | Genesis | 9298 | 59% | Indifferent | 8899 | 99102 | 8993 | Liked, not chosenAverage on all three | 0% |
| — | Infiniti | 6670 | 42% | Indifferent | 6473 | 7173 | 6265 | Behind on all threeBehind on all three | 0% |
Indexed against the average of the 34 indexed luxury suvs & 4x4s brands, so 100 is the category average and a brand is read against the rivals it actually competes with.Indexed against the average of every indexed brand in the whole index — 2,582 brands across 67 categories — so 100 is the average brand anywhere here and a number reads the same on every board. 34 luxury suvs & 4x4s brands rated by the assistants in the latest weekly run; Named in is the share of 60 AI answers that name each brand.
What this category is rated on
The brands are most divided on emotional magnetism: Lamborghini is rated 6.8 and Isuzu 3.0 on the 1–7 scale, a spread of 161 against the feature's usual spread (100 = as contested as usual). Against every category, luxury suvs & 4x4s is rated highest on emotional magnetism (132) and lowest on values & integrity (97).
| Feature | Driver | Category mean | Vs all categories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perceived superiority | Attraction | 4.6/7 | 103 |
| Emotional magnetism contested | Attraction | 4.8/7 | 132 |
| Positive influence | Attraction | 4.8/7 | 106 |
| Identity & belonging | Affinity | 4.2/7 | 111 |
| Values & integrity | Affinity | 4.0/7 | 97 |
| Trust & legitimacy | Affinity | 5.2/7 | 103 |
| Emotional bond | Attachment | 4.4/7 | 106 |
| Reinforced experience | Attachment | 3.9/7 | 100 |
| Part of my routine | Attachment | 4.4/7 | 106 |
A feature's category mean is the average of its brands' ratings, 1–7. Vs all categories indexes it against every indexed brand across every category (100 = the average brand anywhere). The contested feature is the one the category's brands are most spread on, measured against how spread that feature usually is.
Rated well and named go together here
Across the 34 brands, how highly the models rate a brand when asked and how often their answers name it go closely together (rank correlation 0.60).
Rated well, rarely named
- Lexus76% Desire · named in 5%
- Mazda70% Desire · named in 0%
- Škoda70% Desire · named in 2%
- Tesla69% Desire · named in 2%
- Hyundai68% Desire · named in 5%
Showing 5 of 6.
Named, not desired
- Land Rovernamed in 23% · 66% Desire
- Fordnamed in 10% · 62% Desire
Rated well, rarely named: Desire above the category median, named in 5% of answers or fewer. Named, not desired: among the most-named quarter of the category, yet indifferent or below. A relationship inside one week's run, never a cause.
Where the models disagree
The models broadly agree on these brands (mean correlation 0.80 across 3 pairs: ChatGPT–Claude 0.80 · ChatGPT–Gemini 0.81 · Claude–Gemini 0.79). Still, 137 of 1,054 brand-statement ratings (13%) split by 2 points or more on the 1–7 scale, and the typical brand's Desire differs by 9 points between its most and least generous model.
| Brand | Statement | Rated highest | Rated lowest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley | Control | Gemini 6 | Claude 3 |
| Dodge | Exclusive experience | Gemini 5 | Claude 2 |
| Ineos | Energised | ChatGPT 6 | Claude 3 |
| Ineos | Exclusive experience | ChatGPT 5 | Claude 2 |
| Ineos | New ideas | ChatGPT 5 | Claude 2 |
The widest 5 of 137 splits.
Across the whole index, on the same brands: Gemini rates +4.5 points of Desire % against its peers; ChatGPT rates −1.7 points of Desire % against its peers; Claude rates −3.0 points of Desire % against its peers. A generous model lifts every brand it rates, which is why scores are combined across models and indexed within the category.
What sets the leading brands apart
For the category's leading named brands, the glossary statements each is rated furthest above and below the category's average, in points on the 1–7 scale.
What the answers say
The category's answers say enough to judge 51 of the 1,054 brand-statement ratings (4.8%). Of those, 78% back the rating, 4% lean against it and the rest are mixed. The answers were not written to describe every brand on every statement, so this is a check on the ratings, not a second score. Counts only; no answer text is published.
Method & limitations
Every week, ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are each asked directly, the way a survey asks a respondent, to rate every brand in the category on the 31 statements of the Havas Science of Desire glossary, on the survey's own 1–7 agreement scale. Statements roll up to nine features and the three Drivers of Desire (a feature is the mean of its statements; a driver is the sum of its three features, out of 21; Desire is the sum of the drivers, out of 63). Each brand is indexed against the average brand in its own category — 100 is the category average, 115 is fifteen per cent above it — and the Vs all categories switch re-indexes the same scores against every indexed brand in the index. Desire % is Desire as a share of its maximum. A brand is above indifference when its Desire is above two-thirds of its maximum (42 of 63), below indifference at or under one-third (21), and indifferent in between. The summary beside each brand says where it stands on the three drivers: an index of 110 or more counts as ahead, 90 or less as behind.
These are the assistants' own ratings when asked. They are not a survey of people and not an endorsement, and they are not read from what the assistants happen to say in an answer: the answers to the category's unbranded consumer prompts are used only to count how often each brand is named, and as supporting evidence. Relationships between ratings and how often a brand is named are correlational. A brand is indexed only when all 31 statements have been rated in a run by at least two models, and a category needs at least 4 such brands to get a board. See the full methodology.
Read the category report
Which luxury suvs & 4x4s brands the models recommend, the sources they trust and how often a brand page is read but not cited: Luxury SUVs & 4x4s · The Category Report.
Other categories
Where next
This edition measures what AI wants from these brands. These answer what comes next — which brands AI names, which websites feed those answers, and how any of it is counted.