Lamborghini has confirmed that the upcoming Urus SUV will ditch the naturally aspirated V10 and V12 engines in favour of a turbocharged V8 engine.
Lamborghini has confirmed that the upcoming Urus SUV will ditch the naturally aspirated V10 and V12 engines in favour of a turbocharged V8 engine. The Urus will be the company’s second SUV after the LM002 that came out in 1986. That SUV was powered by a V12. The V8 that will be powering the Urus will be newly developed and will not be found in any other car.
R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani said: “In acceleration and in off-road capability it is really important to have a high level of torque, in order to move as quickly as possible and in an off-road situation to have the ability to come out of a critical situation easily. We decided that a turbo for a super sport SUV is the best choice. The engine must be light and powerful and with the capability with this torque at low revs to allow the car to be ‘elastic’ in every type of condition. On the track the car was able to demonstrate all of those capabilities in terms of the engine and the chassis control. Next spring we will be able to fully assess the off-road capabilities of the car. This engine is not used by anybody else, only for Lamborghini. To be the most powerful in the class it must have something that is dedicated to our brand. It must be able to produce the right amount power and torque, but do that in conjunction with the right transmission and chassis control that makes it a true Lamborghini.”
CEO Stephan Winkelmann added: “In early autumn I drove a prototype for the first time on a racetrack and the performance was great. I was astonished; it was more than any of us expected, which is a car that is very powerful but easy to drive, with very good handling, and also in terms of driveability and comfort, it has a limousine feel in an SUV. This is very important to us. It will be a true Lamborghini because it will be the fastest among the SUVs. We will have the most powerful engine and will have the car that is going to be a real super sports SUV. It has to keep the balance between matching the DNA of the brand, that is being a car that is really driveable and also have a lot of off-road capability, but the driving on the roads is much more important.”
Speaking of the design of the car, he said: “It’s a major step. We are almost done with the exterior design. There are minor adjustments. If you see the car you will recall the red concept we showed at Beijing, but it now has more roominess and an evolved design; it is more state-of-the-art compared with that concept”. It will be instantly recognizable as a Lamborghini and from the concept.
He also added that the company is also considering a plug-in hybrid variant of the SUV at a later stage. He also confirmed that unlike the Huracan, the Aventador and the Urus will strictly remain four-wheel drive. The Aventador needs all-wheel drive to help put down its immense power while the Urus will need it to retain its off-road capability.
The Lamborghini Urus will be based on the new Audi Q7 and the Bentley Bentayga. It will be manufactured at the company’s plant in Sant’Agata Bolognese. The Italian government has given a number of “tax breaks and other benefits” to Lamborghini to ensure that the production of the SUV stays in Italy. The plant will grow from 80,000 square metres to around 150,000 square metres and will employ 500 more employees.
The Urus is expected to be revealed at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show or if possible, at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Pricing will be similar to that of the Huracan. Lamborghini hopes to sell around 3000 units annually.
Source – Autocar UK
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