Lamborghini Lifts the Neon Curtain on Its Urus: Details, Specs, Price

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Lamborghini unveiled the Urus SUV today at what was, quite possibly, the most over-the-top product reveal ever witnessed. There was an orchestra, modern dance routine, and rainbow-colored neon light show within the first two minutes. There was almost even a martial arts exhibition ready to break out. Clearly this was a big moment for the Italian automaker and it was more than willing to make a fuss about it.

However, before Lamborghini could get to the Urus announcement, a cavalcade of the brand’s most important models paraded out — followed by a speed skater holding an orange glow stick. Again, it was insane. Eventually the lights were reset and an extended diatribe began on the artistry and pioneering spirit of the brand’s history.

It was boring and included a hefty dollop of marketing speak about Lamborghini’s “evolution.” Then there was another ludicrous dance number, this one somehow tied to automobile production, followed by some rather serious technical difficulties with the presentation. But neither lasted forever and the Urus finally took the stage, rather modestly, to thunderous applause and cheering.

Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s director of research and development, said developing an SUV with supercar dynamics was anything but a cakewalk. The largest challenge, he said, was producing a vehicle that was as adept on sand dunes and ice as it would be on a race track or city street. But Reggiani felt confident that the Urus had hit its mark — then he got into the specifics.

Powering the Urus is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 delivering 650 horsepower and 850 Nm of torque (or about 626 lb-ft). Borrowed from Volkswagen Group, that makes it the very first turbocharged engine to grace Lamborghini’s lineup. The motor is mated to an automatic eight-speed gearbox (not a dual-clutch unit). Power is sent to all wheels and implements torque vectoring.

Beneath the Urus is another component borrowed from VW Group: the MLB platform found under the Bentley Bentayga and Audi Q7.

With a 0-to-62 time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph, the Urus is a little faster than Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk on a long-enough road. But, then again, you’d expect it to be. You’d also expect it to be more flamboyant, which it is.

Styling has changed since the original concept and it has grown to 201 inches in length and 79.3 inches in width, with a wheelbase of 118 inches. All those inches means added storage capacity and a total curb weight of 4,850 pounds.

Overall, the Urus is still angle-heavy but more rounded looking than the early prototypes. The lifted “four-door coupe” design is slightly reminiscent of the BMW X6, but the Urus is decidedly more bonkers to look at. There are a lot of folds and creases that maintain the Lamborghini design language the BMW just doesn’t have. Wheels come standard in the 21-inch variety, but can be upgraded to 23-inchers if desired. Both sizes come wrapped with tires developed by Pirelli specifically for the model.

“The Lamborghini Urus is a visionary approach based on the infusion of Lamborghini DNA into the most versatile vehicle, the SUV,” says Stefano Domenicali, Automobili Lamborghini chairman and CEO. “The Urus elevates the SUV to a level not previously possible, the Super SUV. It is a true Lamborghini in terms of design, performance, driving dynamics and emotion as well as drivable every day in a range of environments.”

Heavy on the tech, the Urus comes with a bevy of assistance systems and practical features one might like on vehicle intended for the whole family. First of all, cylinder deactivation means the super sport utility is capable of up to 22.2 mpg. Secondly, the variable torque split helps make it more friendly and fun in a variety of applications. The standard split is 40/60 front/rear but up to 87 percent of that power can be sent to the rear (the front can take up to 70 percent) as road conditions change. It also has four-wheel steering and ride-height adjustment.

Adaptive dampers perform in conjunction with the Urus’ electromechanical active roll stabilization system and adapt depending on what mode the driver has selected. Lamborghini has equipped its SUV with six driving modes: Strada (street), Terra (off-road), Neve (snow), Sabbia (sand), Sport, and Corsa (race). These are further customizable to driver preference as well.

It looks like a winning recipe on paper and Lamborghini is banking that it will be. The Urus is intended to double the brand’s annual sales by 2019. That puts the final suggested price at $200,000. Not exactly a blue-light-special but, with so much on offer, the brand is confident affluent customers will take notice. Deliveries will begin in the spring of 2018.

[Images: Lamborghini]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

More by Matt Posky

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 41 comments
  • Compaq Deskpro Compaq Deskpro on Dec 05, 2017

    I'm meh about a Lambo SUV but I know they had to do it, and they announced it years ago so I'm not shocked. I am unimpressed with the turbo V8 and ZF 8 speed. AMG M class could easily achieve that. I'm assuming that they come in with the V10 dual-clutch model in a year or two for $350,000 and make all the current buyers of the old model trade up.

  • Pwaxon Pwaxon on Dec 05, 2017

    Just looks more Japanese then Italian, kinda feel I could be looking at a sporty Acura.

  • Carson D At 1:24 AM, the voyage data recorder (VDR) stopped recording the vessel’s system data, but it was able to continue taping audio. At 1:26 AM, the VDR resumed recording vessel system data. Three minutes later, the Dali collided with the bridge. Nothing suspicious at all. Let's go get some booster shots!
  • Darren Mertz Where's the heater control? Where's the Radio control? Where the bloody speedometer?? In a menu I suppose. How safe is that??? Volvo....
  • Lorenzo Are they calling it a K4? That's a mountain in the Himalayas! Stick with names!
  • MaintenanceCosts It's going to have to go downmarket a bit not to step on the Land Cruiser's toes.
  • Lorenzo Since EVs don't come in for oil changes, their owners don't have their tires rotated regularly, something the dealers would have done. That's the biggest reason they need to buy a new set of tires sooner, not that EVs wear out tires appreciably faster.
Next