Love it or hate it, the SUV is here to stay. Not only has this particular body style exploded into popularity in recent times, it was (no longer is, since manufacturers are beginning to shy away from it) the prime technical and commercial driver for many a manufacturer.

Whereas most cars are bought and sold on practical considerations, this approach hasn't translated directly to the SUV and the carmakers know this. So while the logical advantage of an SUV over , say, a saloon would be its off-road ability, this in itself isn't high on most buyers' list of priorities.

What you will find is that most such models are sold as lifestyle propositions and nowhere more so than in the premium segment. To find out which of the current crop of premium SUVs work best in the accepted 'urban usage' model, we decided to pit four of the most popular models – the BMW X5 xDrive30i, the Mercedes-Benz ML 350, the Volvo XC90 2.5T, and the Volkswagen Touareg 3.6 FSI, against each other.

There will be blood.

The BMW X5 has been, for many, the definitive performance SUV ever since it was introduced in 1999. The first road-biased performance SUV, it quickly established itself as the model of choice for both the driving enthusiast and urban jungle trekking.

Built on a modified 5 Series platform, it was the first SUV that brought true saloon-like dynamics to the then-fledgling sector. The combination of style, performance and handling was so successful that it prompted BMW to proudly refer to it as The Boss. With the second generation X5, it has gotten even better.

The Mercedes-Benz ML-Class, on the other hand, was the first to venture into the segment where once there existed only the Range Rover. In its quest to match the ability of the Range and marrying that to the premium trappings of a Mercedes was where the first generation fell flat.

The Stuttgart firm failed to find the pulse of the market, building a ladder-frame SUV with strong off-road capabilities when all punters really wanted was just the looks. Not to be deterred, the current ML-Class addresses this failure and through it, becomes the SUV Mercedes fans had always wanted.

As for the Volvo XC90, its success was such that the model itself transcended the traditional image of dowdiness with which Volvo has been tarred and feathered. Indeed, many people went so far as to identify the XC90 as a brand unto itself, referring to it simply as the XC90 and completely omitting anyr references to Volvo.

Like the BMW, the XC90 tapped into the heart of what consumers wanted and more so given the more mainstream appeal of Volvo's interpretation. This translated to record sales for the Swedes, as the XC90 has been and remains the best selling premium SUV here and in many other markets.

A relative newcomer to the segment, the Volkswagen Touareg had the luxury of time to study both its competitors and its target audience. The result is a vehicle that competently merges the best traits of many of the others listed here and yet still uniquely Volkswagen.

Philosophically, it shares the most with the Volvo in its desire to be both premium yet mainstream at the same time. However, the lack of a locally-assembled variant has meant that is hasn't shared the same level of success here.