What is it?
The Urus has been a transformative vehicle for Lamborghini. While many had been left aghast at the idea of the Italian supercar maker putting its efforts into a high-riding SUV, the Urus has turned out to be a runaway success, and it’s now the brand’s most popular car with more than 38,000 built so far.
The Urus SE, meanwhile, marks a new stage for the Urus. It arrives with a plug-in hybrid system for the first time, but does electrification change the overall experience? We’ve been finding out.
What’s new?
Of course, the major change to talk about here is the implementation of that plug-in hybrid setup, but there have been changes elsewhere too, brought through Lamborghini’s learnings of previous Urus models. There’s a new, slightly softer design than before, while inside there have been upgrades to the screen and general switchgear.
As before, the Urus is backed by mechanicals from the wider Volkswagen Group – which is why many of this Lamborghini’s components are shared with Audi and Bentley vehicles.
What’s under the bonnet?
Make no mistake, this isn’t an example of downsizing at Lamborghini – you’re still getting a thumping 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 at the heart of the Urus, albeit now helped with some added electrification. There’s an electric motor housed within the gearbox, which is linked to a battery and together, they combine with the engine to produce an impressive 789bhp and a huge 900Nm of torque. It allows this mammoth SUV weighing over 2.5 tonnes to go from 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds and onwards to 194mph.
Yet with batteries fully charged, it should manage 37 miles of electric-only driving, while its low CO2 emissions of 51g/km showcase the more green-natured side of the Urus – slightly.
What’s it like to drive?
The Urus is a big, imposing thing to clamber behind the wheel of, but it’s surprisingly mild-natured when you’re pootling about. There’s all-wheel-steering at work here, which makes low-speed driving easier than you’d expect, yet motorway jaunts are conducted in an assured, controlled manner. It’s relaxing to drive the Urus on electric-only power, too.
Probe the further reaches of the accelerator pedal, however, and the Urus transforms into an altogether different animal. The performance is savage and while the exhaust note may be a little one-dimensional, it’s still quite exciting. We did notice that the transition between electric and petrol power felt a little clunky at times, mind you.
How does it look?
The original Urus was something of a statement by Lamborghini and the new one is no different. It does, however, have a slightly more softened character, coming as a result of a redesigned front end. You can tell it apart from the previous-generation Urus by the badge placement – it now sits on an elongated bonnet, rather than separate to it as before.
You’ve still got a wealth of colour options available to choose from, with buyers able to pick between a near-endless choice of shades. However, according to Lamborghini, the most popular colour is a rather understated black.
What’s it like inside?
Lamborghini has become renowned for its interior flamboyance and there’s some of that at play in the Urus. Of course, there are tell-tale areas of shared parts with Audi; the main screen is identical and some of the bongs and alerts are just the same as you’d find in one of Ingolstadt’s products. But there’s a great level of fit-and-finish, while the fighter jet-style cover for the engine start button continues to provide the theatre that you’d expect from a Lamborghini.
Space-wise things are top-notch – this is a large SUV, after all – and there’s plenty of room for those in the back, though headroom is slightly encroached upon by the sloping roofline. At 616 litres, the boot space of the Urus SE mirrors that of the previous generation car, despite the inclusion of the hybrid powertrain.
What’s the spec like?
Priced from £208,800, the Urus SE continues to command a premium. The SE is, as of now, the ‘entry-level’ Urus, but given that this is a Lamborghini, it’s hardly under-equipped. The main infotainment screen is intuitive to use, with the lower display covering heating and ventilation systems. There’s also a wonderfully trimmed and finished steering wheel, which adds to the level of connection that you have with the car.
Again, much like the exterior, you’re free to tweak and change the interior of the Urus however you’d like – and however much you’d like to pay extra. Soft, waxy leathers and soft-touch Alcantara all help to make the Urus feel like the premium car it really is.
Verdict
The original Urus was never going to be about efficiency and despite the inclusion of a plug-in hybrid setup, the SE isn’t either. What battery assistance has done is to give the Urus a wider band of usability, meaning you can waft around town in serene silence before awakening the V8 engine once you’re into the twisty stuff.
It’s an impressively dynamic car for such a large vehicle, and when you add this to the strong finish both inside and out, there doesn’t seem to be any reason why the popularity of the Urus should diminish as the SE any time soon.
Facts at a glanceModel as tested: Lamborghini Urus SEPrice: £208,800Engine: 4.0-litre V8 with plug-in hybrid assistancePower: 789bhpTorque: 900NmMax speed: 194mph0-60mph: 3.2 secondsMPG: 25mpg (est)Emissions: 51g/kmElectric-only range: 37 miles
