TRIUMPHANT TRIUMVIRATE
Prodigious engine, brilliant four-wheel drive system and innovative infotainment feature jointly make the Lamborghini Urus a superb drive
Automakers have always used the century sprint as the benchmark to measure their cars’ performance. Right up to around 10 years ago, a timing in the low 4-sec region was top-notch and would earn the staff of a marque’s engine department a huge pat on the back. This is not the case anymore. Nowadays, a handful of cars can easily crack the 4-sec barrier, but the majority of them are two-door, two-seat, low-slung supercars that weigh less than two tonnes. The exception is the Lamborghini Urus, which comfortably sits four people and tips the scales at just under 2,200kg. When you put pedal to the metal, this super sport SUV launches itself with the ferocity of the large, wild cattle it was named after. Watching the Urus accelerate is akin to observing a fighter jet take off. It blitzes the century sprint in a scarcely believable 3.6sec. Leave your foot on the accelerator and 200km/h flashes by in 12.8sec. When the needle finally stops swinging, the speedometer would have indicated “305km/h”. It’s only after you pop open the shapely bonnet of the car, look at its gem of an engine and pour over its vital statistics that you will understand why it’s able to accomplish such a performance. The Urus’ engine is a 4L petrol V8 twin-turbo unit with 650hp and 850Nm of torque on tap, while its weight‑to‑power
ratio of 3.38kg/hp makes the car a world leader in the SUV category. Manufactured from aluminium, the engine is the first turbocharged-type employed in a Lamborghini and the reason for its existence is simple—when the Urus needs to traverse off-road, it can deliver the high levels of torque, at low revs, necessary for those driving conditions. Compact in size and mounted low to optimise the car’s centre of gravity, the engine also sports twin-scroll turbochargers to produce maximum torque from as low as 2,250rpm. Be it climbing a steep, gravel track, powering through sticky, muddy ground or hurtling around a winding stretch of asphalt at high speed, the Urus does so with the finesse of a well-tuned sports car. Much of this can be attributed to Lamborghini’s expertise in four‑wheel drive know-how and technology. The Urus’ four-wheel drive system centres around its Torsen (torque-sensing) central self-locking differential. As standard, torque is split 40/60 to the front and rear axles, respectively. Depending on the road condition and driving style, as much as 70 per cent of dynamic torque can be sent to the front axle and up to 87 per cent can be diverted to the rear, effectively enhancing traction to the axle with higher ground friction. Another feature, which assists in improving traction, is clever, active torque vectoring via a rear differential. This feature enables propulsive torque to be instantly distributed to each individual wheel depending on the driving mode, driving style and amount of grip afforded by the road surface. Torque vectoring also provides additional steering control and precision—lesser steering effort is needed and with enhanced agility, you can take corners at higher speeds for a sportier drive. State-of-the-art technology isn’t just employed in the Urus for driving. Its infotainment system is also
brimming with the latest connectivity features and is as user-friendly as it is luxurious. Named “Lamborghini Infotainment System III”, or LIS III for short, it features a touchscreen display spanning two screens that perfectly integrate with the SUV’S dashboard. The upper screen is for entertainment and controlling functions such as media, navigation, telephone and car status information. The lower screen, on the other hand, provides a keyboard and handwriting-compatible screen for keying in information and managing functions such as climate control and seat heating. The LIS III also incorporates innovative voice control, which is able to recognise voice commands to access and operate functions such as music, telephone calls and text messages. It also allows for the fully integrated connection of IOS (Apple) and Android (Google) smartphones, supporting Apple Carplay and Android Auto, respectively. When taken out on a drive anywhere, the Lamborghini Urus’ trio of talents—its prodigiously‑powerful turbocharged engine, brilliant four-wheel drive system with torque vectoring, and highly-interactive infotainment system—affords its driver and passengers a truly immersive and thrilling experience.