Brute force

The folks from Bologna have dialled their super-SUV up to eleven and turned it into a record breaker!

LAMBORGHINI HAS REVEALED A new high performance variant of its SUV called the Urus Performante. This new flagship features largely the same hardware as the existing model but turns the wick up on its V8 engine while also updating both the chassis and styling. But even with the Performante’s upgrades it trails key rival, the Aston Martin DBX707, with a peak 656bhp figure (up 15bhp over the existing Urus). Torque is the same as before at 850Nm.

The Urus Performante weighs 2150kg, a 47kg reduction compared to the existing Urus and it shows in its performance figures. The 0-100kmph sprint takes just 3.3 seconds. Power is sent to all four wheels but the Performante features a new limited-slip differential on the rear axle that also facilitates power torque-vectoring. Then there’s a new ‘Rally’ mode, which will accentuate the drive’s rear-bias even more than Sport mode, while slacking the dampers and anti-roll system right off to better handle rough roads.

There have been other hardware changes within the chassis, including a removal of the current car’s air suspension system in favour of a steel coil spring and adaptive damper setup. Lamborghini has widened the tracks by 16mm, and there are two new wheel options ― a signature 23-inch wheel, or a forged 22-inch package including titanium wheel nuts and a bespoke compound of Pirelli Trofeo R tyres. It was this combination that was used on the Urus Performante that broke the Pikes Peak SUV record, cutting 17.9sec from the previous time set by a Bentley Bentayga. To visually enhance the new Performante model,

Lamborghini has given the Urus’s exterior design a subtle makeover, but the general aesthetic remains the same ― whether you like it or not. Both front and rear bumpers are new, and to swallow the slightly wider track widths, the side wheel arch cladding has been reshaped in carbon fibre.

The cabin has been left largely untouched, with a few new trim options for the cabin upholstery but if you’re not enamoured by any of the factory options, Lamborghini’s Ad Personam programme will happily trim just about any element in just about any fabric or colour you could think of. The Urus Performante should reach Indian shores soon and it should cost around the `3.3 crore mark (ex-showroom, without options that is, of which there are plenty). ⌧