Accounting for around 60% of Lamborghini’s global sales, the Urus has become the firm’s cash cow in the same way that Cayenne has for Porsche.
Sacrilegious as it might seem for Italy’s raging bull-badged brand to build an SUV, it’s the reason rich car enthusiasts still get to enjoy the real sports cars.
Six successful years after launch, the Lamborghini Urus has been made a little spicier. Presented at the Beijing Auto Show this week, the new Urus SE ushers in a sharper exterior look as well as a hybrid powertrain.
They’ve still kept the Audi-sourced 4-litre twin-turbo V8 beneath the bonnet, but now it’s supplemented by a 141kW electric motor that raises the vehicle’s total outputs to 588kW and 950Nm, making it the most powerful Urus ever.
What this means at the drag strip is a claimed 3.4 second 0-100km/h sprint, making it 0.1 seconds faster off the mark than the Urus S.
A 25.9 kWh lithium-ion battery, installed below the load floor, allows the Urus to cover up to 60km in EV mode.
Lamborghini claims an 80% reduction in emissions, but in order for that to apply, owners will need to plug it in on a regular basis.
The Urus SE can oversteer too, thanks to a new electronic limited-slip differential installed on the rear axle, which works in sync with the centrally-located electric torque vectoring system.
Visually, the Urus SE has been completely redesigned at the front and back ends, and it's more customisable than ever, thanks to more than 100 available colour schemes and a range of wheels up to 23-inches.
The cabin receives extensive updates too, including a larger 12.3-inch (31.2cm) central infotainment system with updated graphics, and there’s plenty of scope for personalisation here too, with Lamborghini offering 47 different colour combinations and four types of embroidery.
“The Urus SE is a fundamental evolutionary step, not only in terms of sustainability by virtue of a radical reduction in CO2 emissions, but also in terms of performance and sportiness, thanks to the adoption of cutting-edge technical solutions starting with the hybrid powertrain,” said product line director Stefano Cossalter.
“The Urus SE is our Super SUV with two hearts: one thermal and linked to our roots, the other electric and futuristic. Beating in unison, they offer a new interpretation of the unmistakable Lamborghini personality, but taken to a new level.”