Lamborghini has revealed a plug-in hybrid variant of the Urus in the Auto China Beijing 2024. Hybrids, are they good, are they bad? Whatever and however they are, they are bound to stay. We recently saw the Lamborghini Revuelto launched, bringing the Hybrid tech to the Lamborghini V12 DNA. The next target of this electrification is the popular SUV Urus. It finds its base in the Urus S and adds many updates. These are:
It's a hybrid Urus, and it, of course, gets an electrified powertrain, but what are the specs? The 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 powerhouse we get on the Urus is capable of generating 620 bhp of power and 800 Nm of torque acting on its own. The motor, hidden in the 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission, adds more power and torque and brings it all the way to 800 bhp and 950 Nm torque. The motor takes its power from a 25.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Isn't it cool how a small motor hidden in a transmission adds a small hatchback worth of power to this massive SUV? Anyways, if you want to drive only on this motor's power, then Lamborghini claims it will last you 60 km with a speed cap of 130 km/h; above that, the big boy V8 kicks in. The power goes to all four wheels with a 4WD drivetrain, irrespective of whether it comes from the motor or the engine.
It's a Lamborghini; what are the acceleration numbers, you ask? They say you can zoom past 100 km/h from a dead stop in a mere 3.4 seconds, and if you keep pushing, it will give you a maximum speed of 312 km/h. While it is that biggest brother in terms of shear power, it falls one-tenth of a second short of the Urus Perfomante's 3.3s time but is the same amount ahead of the Urus S' 3.4s.
We have a new performance tech called the centrally located longitudinal electric torque vectoring system in the Urus SE. I know it sounds too complicated, but in layman's terms, it makes sure the torque goes to both the front and rear axles. You also get an electronic limited-slip rear differential that the Italian automaker says can give you 'on demand oversteer'; apparently, that makes it feel like a sports car.
Lamborghini must have wondered why it should only feel different to the driver; the onlookers should also know the difference. I guess that's why they completely upgraded that bonnet, stretching it to the edge of the nose. It doesn't have cut-off lines now. The headlamps look sharper and slimmer with an LED matric tech. Gone are the Y-motifs we loved in Lamborghini headlights. The rear is not the same either. You have a new tailgate that draws inspiration from the Gallardo (ah, nostalgia). The tail lamps haven't done away with the Y shape like that front, though. It also has a new spoiler, while the number plate goes down to the diffuser. The diffuser in itself has grown in size now. Users can choose how tall they want their Urus to stand with the options of 21, 22 and 23-inch wheels. The tyres remain the Pirelli P Zero in all three. It's not all aesthetics; Lamborghini has made some serious aero improvements, too. It has fresh underbody vents and redesigned air ducts that help it achieve 15 per cent more aero-efficiency than the original Urus. It generates 35 per cent more downforce than the Urus S and has 30 per cent better cooling for the brakes than before.
On entering it, the first thing you might see is the new 12.3-inch infotainment display at the centre. It has the latest platform shared with the Revuolto. You will also notice that the dashboard panels feel a little more 3D than before. There are new seats and slightly changed AC vents. The customization is aplenty, with more than 100 colours on the outside and 47 finishes on the inside.
We all know the standard Strada, Sport and Corsa modes for roads and tracks and the Neve, Sabbia and Terra modes for off-roading. The new entrants are EV Drive, Hybrid, Recharge and Performance modes (they take away the Italian touch with the ordinary English words, right?). Lamborghini says the recharge mode lets you charge the battery up to 80 per cent without hampering your optimal performance. The performance mode will let you go both on and off roads.
The Drive modes have a say in the air suspension working, too. The air springs change the ground clearance, which ranges from 15 mm in Corsa to 75 mm in its highest spot. Not only this, but the drive modes also control the steering weight, drivability, and exhaust note. Lamborghini has claimed that this suspension will give you even more comfort in Strada and more firm confidence in the Corsa mode compared to the Urus S.
While they don't seem to belong to one sentence, what do you feel about all a hybrid SUV from Lamborghini?
