Blending into the background

Famed for its sportier vehicles, Lamborghini has made a move into the SUV market, and with impressive results, finds Steve Teale

Welcome to the fastest Lamborghini yet, and one you could take to Ikea quite happily.

The quickest? Well, not in the conventional sense, but it is the fastest selling model this builder of Italian thoroughbreds has ever turned out.

It has catapulted Lambo from sales measured in the hundreds to one which will total 8,000 this year. Still small fry when compared to other motoring exotica but it’s moving in the right direction.

Urus is a sport utility vehicle but there its comparison with conventional load-luggers ends. It looks like a quick car – and it is. Top speed is 190mph and it can whip to 60mph in 3.6 seconds, which puts many conventional sports cars to shame.

It also means it can stand proudly alongside its racier siblings, Aventador and Huracan which are both two-seater coupes.

So, what made Lamborghini move into the SUV market? Commercial reality. Lamborghini has had a chequered past financially but now it is part of the ever-so-sensible Volkswagen empire it was decided an SUV would provide stability to the brand – a strong foundation.

And so it has proved. And while Urus may not tickle the fancy of traditional Aventador-Huracan types, it has brought new blood to the brand.

So, how does Urus shape up? It looks fabulous – not as dreamy as its siblings, but it has a macho style which makes it stand out from the crowd. It is expensive (£159,925), which makes even the Range Rover seem affordable.

But it is opulent, poised and sporty like no other SUV, except for perhaps the Bentley Bentayga. Urus is sharper and quicker. I’d also say it’s prettier.

So how does Urus shape up? It’s a 4.0 litre V8 with a brilliant engine and wonderful poise. It has air conditioning, alloy wheels and a fabulous cabin with three screens.

The cabin is more akin to a jet fighter than an automobile with aircraft-style buttons and levers. But it is also incredibly functional, more so than the coupe Lamborghinis.

You sit low, more like a sporting saloon than a big 4x4. It doesn’t have the wonderful sound of its siblings but the Urus does sound different to other SUVs. It’s far from placid. It comes with Strada, Sport and Corsa settings – street, sports and racing circuit – and there is a definite difference between the three. It has other settings too - Terra, Sabbia, Neve (gravel, sand, snow).

This is a proper SUV with accommodation for four in comfort, plus a 616-litre boot rising to 1,596 litres with the rear seats down.

Lamborghini was until recently a male dominion. Now seven per cent of owners are female, and that’s largely down to Urus. This is also the first truly practical Lambo which you could use as an everyday motor, provided the insane price doesn’t deter you.

A fantastic car. Brilliant at what it does. And perfect for anyone with a massive budget and who wants something like a Range Rover, only more exclusive and exhilarating in equal measure.