7 key details about the Lamborghini Urus
Expect a wild, fast result when a supercar company develops a new SUV.
Lamborghini’s all-new super-SUV — the Urus
— has wild styling, a potent powertrain, a second row of seats, and where most Lambos can barely clear a speed bump, the Urus can traverse off-road.
Purists may scoff at the notion of a Lamborghini SUV, but as proven by Porsche with the Cayenne and Macan, a performance brand can build other types of vehicle and remain true to its core ethos.
Here are seven key things to know about the Lamborghini Urus:
The Urus features Lamborghini’s signature “wedge” styling.
1. It’s unmistakably a Lamborghini.
Were its badging removed, the Urus would still be instantly recognizable as a Lamborghini. The Italian automaker’s styling has long been described as having wedge-like properties, but the latest crop of Lambos, including the Huracan supercar, takes this concept to new extremes.
The need for four doors takes the “wedge” concept in a new direction as well, and could possibly pave the way for a four-door Lamborghini super-sedan in the future.
2. It’s a name with some history.
The “Urus” name comes from an ancestor to modern cattle. Lamborghini has a long tradition of naming its vehicles after famous bullfighting bulls, earning its cars the nickname of “Raging Bulls.”
The current Aventador is named after a Spanish fighting bull from 1993, while the Huracan is named for a famous bull from 1879. (It’s also the name of the Mayan god of wind, storm, and fire.)
The LM002, aka the “Rambo Lambo,” predates the Urus by over 30 years.
3. It’s not the first Lambo SUV.
One of the few exceptions to the bovine naming convention was the LM-002. It was based on the Lamborghini Cheetah, a vehicle designed as a military-use rapid all-terrain vehicle. This led to the LM001, a civilian prototype, which then gave way to the limited run LM002. Between 1986 and 1993, just 328 were produced.
4. The powertrain turns to turbos.
Just as the Urus is a departure from Lamborghini convention, the powertrain also represents a change for the brand. While Lamborghini has long used naturally aspirated V10 and V12 engines, the new front-engined Urus requires tighter packaging, and as such, will employ a 4.0-liter V8 engine.
But make no mistake, Lamborghini is not compromising. The V8 employs twin-turbos, yielding an output of 641 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. For reference, the Lamborghini Huracan’s V10 engine makes between 573 and 630 horsepower.
An eight-speed automatic transmission routes power to all four wheels in an all-wheel-drive setup. It will accelerate from 0-62 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 190 miles per hour, according to the automaker.
These numbers make it the world’s fastest sport utility vehicle.
To make room for four seats, Lamborghini had to use a twin-turbo V8 rather than V10 or V12 engine.
5. It features high-tech handling.
At 4,850 pounds, the Urus might be light for an SUV, but it’s still quite hefty in the greater world of performance cars. To bring that weight to a stop from its record-setting speeds, Lamborghini developed the largest set of carbon ceramic brakes ever fitted to a production car.
The all-wheel drive system typically routes 40 percent of power to the front wheels and 60 percent to the rear. It employs torque vectoring, which can route power individually between the left and right wheels. It also features an air suspension that can increase ground clearance to as much as 9.8 inches.
To optimize all of these systems in various settings, Lamborghini provides a terrain management system featuring Strada (Street), Corsa (Track), Terra (Dirt), Sabbia (Sand), and Neve (Snow) driving modes.
A terrain management system will provide presets for dirt, street, sand, and snow.
6. It has some close cousins.
Lamborghini is part of an automotive family that includes Audi, Bentley, Porsche, and even Bugatti. They are all owned by Volkswagen, and so the Urus rides on a platform that’s shared with the Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne, and Volkswagen Touareg.
7. They’re coming soon.
The 2019 Lamborghini Urus is expected to start at $200,000. Lamborghini will start building the Urus in February of 2018.
