Lamborghini Urus 2018: Prices, specs and reviews

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Lamborghini has unveiled its Urus “super SUV” – the company’s first off-roader in more than three decades.

The Italian supercar maker’s first-ever SUV was launched in 1986. It was called the LM002 and was designed as a military vehicle before it was converted into a road car.

The Urus made its public debut at the Beijing Auto Show in 2012, but it’s taken over five years to prepare the vehicle for production.

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The new car is more sporty and svelte than its tank-like predecessor.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new SUV:

Price and release

Prices for the Urus kick off at £165,000, says Auto Express, with deliveries expected to reach early adopters in the spring.

Design

Despite spending over five years in development, the production version of the Urus shares much of its design with the Urus concept of 2012.

Similarities between the two include the large air vents embedded in the front bumper and the LED headlight design. The production model also appears to have the concept’s low roofline that slopes downwards towards the rear.

At first glance, the differences are minor. The new SUV has a slightly higher nose and a lower ride height than the concept. The former also gets a small air vent near the top of the front wheel arch, which doesn’t appear on the pre-production car.

The Urus is based on the MLB Evo production platform sourced from Lamborghini’s parent company Volkswagen, Auto Express reports. It’s the same platform that can be found on SUVs such as the Audi Q7 and the Volkswagen Touareg.

Interior and tech

Much like Lamborghini’s supercars, the Urus is kitted out with a radical interior packed with leather-lined surfaces and carbon fibre trim pieces.

The dashboard and centre console are covered in switches, some of which control the car’s driving modes. These include Terra, Neve and Sabbia, says Evo. The words are Italian for land, snow and sand.

Behind the steering wheel sits a digital instrument panel, according to the magazine. A second screen to control the infotainment system can be found above the centre console. There are also some “switches and stalks” derived from Audi, Lamborghini’s sister company, but these are “well integrated” into the cabin’s design.

The Urus is equipped with sports seats both in the front and rear of the cabin. The Daily Telegraph says the front seats are particularly comfortable and finished in “gorgeous leathers and suede-effect Alcantara.”

Passengers in the rear of the car have plenty of space, the newspaper says, and there is “more than sufficient” room for any occupants who are over six foot. The SUV comes with four seats as standard, but buyers can opt for a five-seater layout on the options list.

Engines and performance

While Lamborghini’s current range of supercars features naturally aspirated V10 and V12 engines, the Urus is equipped with a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8.

Despite losing a few cylinders to its siblings, the SUV is still capable of delivering a supercar-rivalling 641bhp and 627lb-ft of torque.

Its high power output, along with its all-wheel drive system and eight-speed automatic gearbox, allows the SUV to go from 0-62mph in 3.6secs and on to a top speed of 190mph.

There’s a chance Lamborghini will offer a plug-in hybrid variant that uses the same engine as the electrified Porsche Panamera, says Car Buyer, but this has yet to be confirmed by the company.

Lamborghini has also fitted the Urus with same performance driving modes as its supercars, says Evo. These include the Strada, Sport and Corsa settings that are designed to tweak the car’s steering and suspension.

According to the magazine, the Italian carmaker has also added three new modes exclusively for the Urus called Terra, Neve and Sabbia. These help improve traction on challenging surfaces such as snow and sand.

Reviews

The Urus feels like a big car compared to the sleek supercars that Lamborghini famously builds, according to Evo.

Step inside the SUV and it starts to feel more like a traditional Italian supercar, the magazine says. The position of the pedals and steering wheel are “spot-on,” while the relatively low seating position gives drivers “a real feeling of security as well as sportiness.”

Lamborghini’s new twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine makes its debut in the Urus. Top Gear says it provides “rib-crushing torque” no matter what gear the car’s in.

It doesn’t rev as high or sound as characterful as the company’s V10 or V12 engines, the motoring site says, but the outright speed of the V8 is more than a match for the larger engines in the Italian marque’s supercars.

But the SUV is let down by its ride quality, says Auto Express, as “too much noise” and vibrations are transmitted into the cabin when driving over poor road surfaces. This can be “annoying for the driver” and can ruin the “sense of luxury” for passengers.

While the Urus’s ride quality doesn’t quite live up to expectations, the magazine says the SUV is exactly the car Lamborghini buyers have been asking for.