Meet the most controversial car of 2018. The Lamborghini Urus certainly isn’t a sports car – and it sure ain’t pretty – but this 650hp SUV promises to double Lambo sales.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Urus – including our video tour from the exclusive London launch.
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Video: Lamborghini Urus UK debut
Lamborghini has form with 4x4s. The original ‘Rambo Lambo’ was the LM002 of 1986, a road-legal military vehicle powered by a Countach-sourced V12.
The Urus is more Daniel Craig than Sly Stallone: a sporty crossover coupe, not a mud-n-guts off-roader. Its rivals include the Range Rover, Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne Turbo – plus the forthcoming Ferrari SUV, due in 2020.
Right-hand-drive deliveries start in late summer, with prices from around £165,000.
Angular and aggressive
The Urus is based on the Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo platform, which underpins everything from the Audi A4 to the Bentley Bentayga.
Its styling owes much to Lamborghini’s Huracan and Aventador supercars. Angular and aggressive, it’s a riot of sharp creases, muscular bulges and gaping air intakes, riding on huge 23-inch alloys with bespoke Pirelli rubber.
A tapering roofline augments the visual drama, although the Urus still has five doors: note the awkward placement of the rear door handle atop the wheelarch.
The first turbocharged Lamborghini
Sadly, the Urus doesn’t use the Huracan’s screaming, naturally-aspirated V10 – or indeed the Aventador’s majestic V12. But don’t worry, there isn’t a diesel version… yet.
Instead, this is Lamborghini’s first turbocharged production car. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive.
Outputs are 650hp at 6,000rpm and 627lb ft of torque at 2,250rpm. In a car weighing a not-inconsiderable 2,200kg, that translates to 0-62mph in 3.6sec and a 189mph top speed. Fortunately, huge carbon-ceramic brakes are standard.
As for fuel economy and CO2 emissions, those figures haven’t been released yet. Reckon on 20mpg and 300g/km and you shouldn’t be disappointed.
Six drive modes, from racetrack to snow
The Urus accommodates four, with a split/fold rear seat and 616 litres of luggage space. We’re not convinced the boot’s suede lining is entirely practical, though.
Drivers are offered a choice of six modes, from Corsa (track) to Neve (snow) and Sabbia (sand). Air suspension boosts ground clearance by up to 90mm in the off-road settings – perfect for those lofty Kensington kerbs.
The 4WD system has a sporty, rearward bias in normal conditions, with a Torsen differential to shuffle traction around when needed. Electromechanical anti-roll bars and rear-wheel steering should also help it handle like a Lamborghini.
Backwards step or brave new world? Look out for our first drive of the Lamborghini Urus later this spring.