When Lamborghini first unveiled the production Urus in Dec 2017 (a concept was teased five years earlier), it targeted to build around 3,500 units a year. No one knew that there would be such a huge global interest for an incredibly fast SUV because by 2022, the Italian car maker had produced 20,000 Urus vehicles to meet this overwhelming demand. It became the company’s best-selling model.
The Urus also made other luxury and supercar manufacturers realised that there was an untapped market for super-SUVs (SSUVs). Several competitors released their own variants in the years after 2017. Most held their own against the Raging Bull.
Lamborghini is back to take the throne that they brashly wrested five years ago. That same person who underestimated demand isn’t making the same mistake, releasing two variants of the Urus in quick succession—the Urus S and the beastly Urus Performante.
Lamborghini Urus S
It’s the successor to the original Urus and ups the ante in terms of performance and design. There’s a new front bumper with a new matt black-painted stainless steel skid plate. The dark theme continues on the carbon fibre bonnet, which comes with matt black air vents. At the rear, a matt black-painted bumper features a twin-pipe exhaust in brushed steel.
As always, Lamborghini offers a non-exhaustive suite of customisations, ranging from colours, trims, wheels, style packages, style details, and more, for each customer.
The magic is beneath the bonnet. The engineers have delivered a twin-turbo V8 engine that delivers an incredible 666 CV (657 horsepower) worth of power. That’s 16 more horsepower than the 2022 Urus. Acceleration is also improved by 0.1 second. The Urus S can complete the century sprint in 3.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 305 kph. More importantly, it comes to a complete stop from 100 kph within 33.7 metres.
Everything else—suspension layout, eight-speed automatic gearbox, and drive modes—remain the same, but it’s hard to improve on something so majestic. That the engineers can squeeze even more horsepower from a similar engine is already a feat.
Lamborghini urus Performante
Most would ask the need for a finely tuned super SUV meant for racing. But Lamborghini would probably reply with: why not? The Urus Performante is the sport car driver’s super SUV. Chief technical officer Rouven Mohr has the perfect description. “The Urus Performante takes to the road as a lightweight, honed athlete. Its muscular stance, distinctive design, V8 twin turbo powerplant and lightweight sports exhaust establish it through sight, sound, and experience as the most exciting contender on every road, track, and loose surface.”
While the Urus Performante pushes out the same amount of power as the Urus S, it can complete the century sprint quicker: 3.3 seconds. This is achieved by shaving 47kg of weight, not a simple task. The increased acceleration and higher top speed (306kph), however, don’t mean responsiveness, handling, and stability are compromised. Lamborghini has outfitted the Urus Performante with new specially designed semi-slick tires that the carmaker co-developed with Pirelli. Whether you’re driving on dry, hot asphalt or wet, cool roads, the Urus Performante Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R delivers wonderfully.
The design language is the hallmark of the Performante. Lamborghini has always embraced sharp edges and straight lines, and this SSUV pushes it further with a sharper and more prominent bonnet and a newly designed rear spoiler, which also increases rear down force by 38 percent. The rear bumper and diffuser is clad in carbon fibre while the exhaust is crafted from a special lightweight titanium for that signature Lamborghini sound.
In the cockpit, Lamborghini’s black Alcantara, or Nero Cosmus, comes as standard on the steering wheel and seats. The dark theme continues if you opt for the optional Dark Package. Lamborghini will give the matt black treatment to other interior details including the control system, which hosts controls such as the Start/Stop button and drive mode selector.
And if you need to be further convinced by the Urus Performante’s prowess, it raised the bar again by setting a record in the production SUV category on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Road. The car crossed the finish line at the 4,302-metre mark in 10 minutes and 32 seconds, beating the previous time by a whopping 17 seconds. That, truly, is performance.
