Lamborghini’s genes have been re-engineered and we say that because practicality was never on the raging bull’s priority list. But now with the Urus, the Italian marque has ushered itself into a new realm, that of the butch practicality of an SUV. This is a landmark step and here are five things that we think you should absolutely know about this new Lambo SUV.
1. Urus is not the first Lamborghini SUV
Yes. Because in 1986 the Lamborghini LM002 was born. Lamborghini, in its typical mad-hatted style shoved the Countach’s V12 under the hood of a pickup truck. With a 290-litre fuel tank to make sure you go a thousand kilometres, the LM002 came with special run-flat tyres that could run on the hot desert sand without flinching. The Lamborghini Urus is the direct descendant of LM002, a legacy that the new SUV will always be proud of.
2. First non-NA engine
Lamborghini had recently said that the era of turbocharged engines for the sports cars is still far away. And they haven’t lied. Because the Urus isn’t a sportscar. It is a sports-SUV and is powered by the famous 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine that had us mesmerised in the Audi RS6. And it comes with 641bhp of power and 850Nm of torque. Do we need to say more?
3. Anima drive modes
If it isn’t animal enough, it isn’t a Lamborghini. So they decides to call their drive mode switch, Anima. Apart from the four road modes, Strada, Sport, Corse and Neve (snow) you also have the two optional off-road modes – Terra and Sabbia (sand). Each mode has a bespoke combination of the engine, the gearbox, the steering, the suspension and the sound that only Lamborghini can put together.
4. Four-wheel steering and electronic suspension
And if you thought because it is an SUV, it will not be fast, remember it is a Lamborghini. It has been engineered to go fast. The four-wheel steering turns the rear wheels up to three degrees each side. When it turns opposite to the front wheels, it makes the Urus turn in faster at lower speeds as if its wheelbase has been shortened by almost half a metre. At high speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction, virtually lengthening the wheelbase which gives it more stability. Add to it the electronically controlled suspension that alters itself a thousand times in a second to find you the perfect setup for every corner and every road.
5. Fastest production SUV
Now that you know what goes in to the Urus, it´s moniker of being the fastest production SUV shouldn’t come as a surprise. It goes from zero to 100kmph in 3.6 seconds and that is incredibly quick for a two-tonne SUV. Not to mention the top-whack of 190mph (305kmph) which makes it one of the first hyper-SUVs to be ever built.
