Able to complete 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds, carry five people in comfort and tow 3.5 tonnes. Is it a SUV? Is it a supercar? No, it’s a Super Lambo! This is the Lamborghini Urus; the world’s first Super SUV and if you need an SUV in your life then I suggest you look no further.
When Lamborghini announced that they were building a SUV I scoffed like the rest of the motoring fraternity that they were just selling out and jumping on the SUV band wagon like all of the other car companies. But after attending the Australian launch in early 2018, I was smitten and couldn’t wait to drive one for myself.
The Urus is powered by the same engine found in the Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne, but it has most definitely been tuned by Lamborghini. Flick up the fighter pilot inspired start/stop switch cover and hit the start button and you’re greeted by a blip of the throttle and an angry burble from the exhaust.
The bellowing V8 is a 4.0L twin turbocharged beast that produces 478kW (650HP) @ 6,000rpm and a whopping 850Nm of torque @ 2,250-4,500rpm and propels the 2.2 tonne Urus to a top speed 305km/h. The official combined fuel consumption is 12.6l/100km, but for my 24 hours with the Urus I averaged 27.8l/100km, a new record for me.
In defence of the Urus I did spend the vast majority of my time in Corsa mode and saying to my friends “…and it goes like this!” as I chased the shift lights in the head up display. To which there was 100% agreement from said friends that the Urus was completely bombastic and that they would all own one. Because the ride of the Urus is comfortable for highway cruising, but pitch the SUV into a corner and it takes it like a sportscar.
It’s not just the engine that makes the Urus worthy of the Lamborghini badge that proudly adorns the bonnet. The 8-speed automatic gearbox changes gears at supercar speeds and diligence. Change down through the gears aggressively and the Urus responds according, with more pops and bangs from the exhaust than a gun slinging match at the O.K. Corral.
The brakes are also pretty special as well and can pull the Urus up from 100km/h in just 33.7 metres. The front carbon ceramic brakes on the front measure 440mm or in old money 17 inches, that’s bigger than the diameter of the rims on my first car! The rears aren’t much smaller at 370mm and all up with the yellow calipers they cost $2,121. The wheels on my Urus were the 23 inch diamond polished Taigete style ($10,428 option) and frame the brakes like a a work of art.
You get all of this Lamborghini performance and can seat five adults in relative comfort or have two ISOFIX/three rear tether child car seats fitted in the rear. If you just have two rear seats occupied then you can fold down the centre arm rest to reveal two narrow drinks holders that wouldn’t fit a standard sized water bottle in them. There are deep storage pockets in the doors though for extra drink holding capacity.
The rear passengers get the same levels of luxury as the front passengers from the leather seats with Q-Citura and all up with the optional embroidered Lamborghini shields in the head rests these seats cost $8,360. So if this were my Urus there would definitely be a no eating in the car policy for the children! Rear passengers also get dual rear climate control (that can also be controlled from the front) and two 12V outlets.
The boot in the Urus is huge and as you can see it easily swallows a full sized western saddle. The official capacity is 616 litres and that coupled with the 40/20/40 split fold rear seats means that carrying a large amount of cargo would be a synch here. Then there is the 3.5 tonne towing capacity meaning you could easily tow a horse float with the Urus as well. You can raise and lower the Urus from the vehicle settings on the screen or using the buttons in the boot to make it easier to load, but it is not at a great height to start with so I didn’t think this feature was really necessary.
Back at the pointy end of the Urus and the driver and passenger are treated to a lot more comfort than your standard ‘saddle’ with fully electrically adjustable and heated seats. My Urus was also fitted with the optional ventilated and massage seat function ($5,832), which is the same as the Bentleys I have previously driven. I enjoyed them a lot and I could really get used to this level of luxury.
The steering wheel is pure sportscar with its flat bottomed design and lovely wheel mounted paddle shifters. With the contrasting stitching and perforated leather inserts the one you see here costs an extra $1,944. And of course, in case you forget there’s the constant reminder in front of you that you’re driving a Lamborghini.
In addition to Corsa mode for precision and maximum performance, you can select from the other six modes using the ANIMA Selector. STRADA for ease of driving, comfort and safety or SPORT for agility, responsiveness and fun. The three off-road modes have been designed to enhance the Urus performance even more: NEVE ensures ease and safety even on slippery surfaces; TERRA ensures comfort and ease in off-road conditions; SABBIA is perfect for sandy surfaces. But I didn’t get the opportunity to try these modes out for myself.
Finally, the EGO mode enables the driver to redefine the vehicle’s dynamics according to preferences and needs in terms of steering, suspension and traction. These can be changed between smooth, medium or sportive.
As you change between the different driving modes the driver’s dash display also changes giving you info appropriate to the mode you are in and the graphics are superior to most other cars that I have driven. The driver’s dash also displays night vision ($4,949 option), which you really have to see for yourself to believe how good it actually is.
There are two more TFT screens, one for infotainment and one for comfort functions, including virtual keyboard feature with hand-writing recognition, which was very cool. To enter a destination you simply write the name of the place you want to go one letter over the next and the system recognises the address. The screens can be swiped or pressed to change the settings and when you press the digital controls you are given an allusion that you are pressing a real button thanks to the haptic technology.
The top screen also displays the 360o safety camera that gives you the option to virtually walk around the Urus to check for obstructions or danger. This is nothing like I have seen before and is the kind of safety technology that I really appreciate having. I also enjoyed playing with the ambient lighting option ($5,656) that gives you 30 different colours to choose from for both the line lights and area lights under the door handles and in the door cubbies.
Under the centre arm rest you get wireless phone charging for compatible devices, SIM, SD card and two USB ports to connect your phone to Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. There are also two additional 12V outlets under the very front of the centre console with a ledge for storing your devices. You can then stream your favourite music and listen to it on the brilliant Bang & Olufsen 3D audio system ($11, 665 option), but money well spent in my opinion. Add your favourite music with the heated massage seats and you have a mobile day spa right here.
The Urus comes standard in Australia with a swath of active safety features including distance warning, side assistance, intersection assistance, emergency braking assistance, exit warning system and adaptive cruise control. There is also pre-recognition for accident avoidance but this is disabled when Sport or Corsa mode isselected. Passive safety features include driver and passenger airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags.
In Australia, Lamborghini will supply a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, along with a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. The maintenance package on the Urus costs $6,009 and covers standard services for the first three years or you can opt for the five year package which costs $7,777.
The only thing I didn’t like about the Urus was the ‘cheese grater’ looking styling on the front end of the SUV. But when I jumped on the Configurator and specced my Urus, the Nero Helene metallic black paint helped to disguise this particular feature.
The Lamborghini Urus starts at $390,000 and as tested my Giallo Auge bull was $457,192 plus on road costs and if I had that kind of cash I would put my order down for one tomorrow. The only problem being I would have to wait until February 2020 before I received it as production for 2019 has already been exhausted.
Lamborghini have truly created THE Super SUV that embodies the essence of Lamborghini in a form that enables you to share the amazing experience with family and friends; visit your preferred Lamborghini dealer to drive this super hero for yourself!
| Pros | Cons |
| It’s a Lamborghini that seats five adults | The front end styling |
| The V8 engine is epic | Poor fuel efficiency |
| Exceptional on-board technology | There isn’t one in my garage |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.