Lamborghini Urus makes flying visit to NZ
The Lamborghini Urus make a flying visit to New Zealand this month.
The Italian maker’s first-ever SUV – or ‘‘Supersport Utility Vehicle’’ as Lamborghini likes to call it – is currently visiting showrooms around the world in advance of first deliveries in the second half of the year.
It was a pre-production example, so for static display only. But the blue Urus pictured here was the centrepiece of exclusive customer events at Lamborghini Auckland, in its showroom at 119 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, and was available for public viewing in a family-oriented ‘‘Urus Open Day’’ at the on Saturday April 7. ANd then it was gone.
Urus is officially the world’s fastest SUV, with 0-100kmh in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 305kmh.
It owes some thanks to its VW Group parentage in terms of powertrain and platform, although both have been extensively reworked for the Lamborghini application.
Under the bonnet is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 making 478kW/ 850Nm – the first turbocharged engine to feature in a Lamborghini production model.
It drives all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Torque is split 40/60 front/rear in normal driving, with a maximum of 70/87 per cent available to either end in extreme conditions.
It’s also fitted with active torque vectoring on the rear axle – in addition to rear-wheel steering (just like an Aventador).
Urus is the first Lamborghini to have an electromechanical active roll-stabilisation system. The dampers can be adjusted through the Anima control, with more customisation via Ego mode.
Carbon-ceramic brakes are standard. Measuring 440mm at the front and 370mm at the rear, they are the largest discs ever fitted to a production car. Wheel options range from 21-inch (standard) up to an incredible 23-inch rim (as fitted to the Auckland display car).
Driving modes are selected via a centre-console controller called the Tamburo: from Strada to Sport to max-attack Corsa.
But it’s an SUV of course, so there’s also a Neve (snow) mode. Available as an option are two additional modes: Terra (off-road) and Sabbia (sand).
Urus production starts in June, with first deliveries to NZ customers around August. Starting price: $339,000.