Lamborghini’s racy-looking ‘super SUV’ goes after a broader clientele
The all-new Urus aims to broaden the brand’s clientele and comes with twin-turbo V8 muscle.
That’s a racy- looking SUV! That’s exactly how Lamborghini wants you to perceive its all- new Urus, the third model in its line- up after the Huracan and the Aventador. The brief was simple: make a sports car version of an SUV. The result is the Urus, which took five years to evolve from concept form to production reality. The remarkable thing is that not much has changed
from the show car. Notable design cues include hexagonal fenders nodding to the LM002, Lamborghini’s first SUV made between the late 1980s and early 1990s.
As per other Lambos, the windows make up only one-third of the side profile, while the window lines gently slope down from the rear to the front. And then there’s that power dome on the bonnet to signify the model’s super-fast intentions.
The four-seat interior has been designed with all the familiar furniture that Lambo fans have come to expect. The seats are positioned relatively low for a sports car feel, while three digital panels on the dashboard house all kinds of information and functions.
Does it share the same platform with the Cayenne?
Yes, it does. In fact, the so-called MLB Evo platform is also used by the Bentley Bentayga and the Audi Q7, apart from the Porsche Cayenne. In spite of that, the Urus sees more use of carbon fibre in its bodywork to make it lighter than its relatives. It weighs 2,200kg and has a wheelbase measuring a generous 3,003mm.
Power for the Urus initially comes from the Volkswagen Group’s latest 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 allied with an eight-speed torque-converter automatic. Tuned to 650hp and 850Nm in the Urus, this petrol motor helps propel the vehicle from zero to 100kph in 3.6 seconds before hitting a 305kph top speed. That makes the Urus the fastest SUV, eclipsing its Bentley relative, which comes with a 608hp 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 and 4.1 seconds’ acceleration time.
Later in the life cycle comes a plug-in hybrid system that will also be used in the Bentayga and Cayenne petrol-electric models. Lamborghini bosses have conveniently ruled out diesel power, as it doesn’t suit the “super SUV” concept.
The latest chassis features for the Urus include fourwheel drive with active torque vectoring on the rear axle, four-wheel steering, adaptive air suspension, an active antiroll system and carbon-ceramic brakes.
Will it really appeal to potential Lambo buyers?
Lamborghini is well aware of the fact that an SUV option is a must if the sports car business is to be sustained. Actually, the brand predicts that annual global sales will eventually double in a few years, with additional thanks going to a new factory built to handle production of the Urus.
It’s also said the Urus will enable Lamborghini to widen its clientele, rather than just aiming at driving enthusiasts who’d simply settle for the Huracan or the Aventador. Customers who need a fast family car are targeted with the Urus.
The Urus hits world markets by mid-2018, with an estimated price of 20 million baht in Thailand — cheaper than a Bentayga but dearer than a Cayenne.