Only six years after the concept was first shown in Beijing, Lamborghini have finally announced they will launch a completed production-spec Urus in 2018. What is the Urus, you ask? The Urus is Lamborghini’s second-ever attempt at an SUV, and one that is expected to be the marque’s first ever plug-in hybrid.
The aim of the game is to beat the Bentley Bentayga as the world’s fastest SUV, which is quite a feat given that the Bentayga can do 0-60MPH in just four seconds. What will probably help, in terms of keeping its weight competitively low, is that, unlike many SUVs, the Urus will only have four or five seats.
Although details are scarce at this stage, there are indications that Lamborghini plans to build 3,000 of these models, suggesting a significant investment in the concept – as well as in the Sant’ Agata Bolognese factory, which will need to be doubled in size to meet the volume of orders. In terms of the car’s composition, we expect aggressive, Aventador-like styling, perched on top of VW’s new MLB platform architecture – the same one that currently underpins the Bentayga.
Critics are likely to focus on what will be under the bonnet, and Lamborghini’s CEO Stephan Winkelmann has been rather forthcoming to Auto Express: “The SUV has a big advantage if you want to do a plug-in hybrid, because with the packaging it is much easier with the power-to-weight ratio. A car like this does not suffer the additional space and weight of the batteries. It is something we are thinking about, but if I had to say which is the first car that will have some form of electrification, I would immediately blindfolded say SUV.”
Winkelmann also confirmed that the car would be a true Lamborghini in essence, yet markedly different from the concept car we saw in 2012. Roll on 2018!