Lamborghini has revealed the Urus SE Performante, a new range-topping version of its super-SUV that pairs the Urus SE's plug-in hybrid powertrain with chassis technology derived from the company's motorsport programme. The result is an 800bhp machine that Lamborghini claims is both more thrilling and more sensible than the purely petrol-powered Performante it replaces.
At the heart of the SE Performante is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 working alongside an electric motor, producing a combined 801bhp at 6,000rpm and 590lb ft of torque from the engine between 2,250 and 4,500rpm. The electric motor adds a further 356lb ft. Power reaches all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Lamborghini quotes a 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 194mph.
A 25.9kWh battery mounted beneath the boot floor gives the SE Performante a 37-mile electric-only range and an 81mph top speed in EV mode, allowing drivers to cross town and join a motorway without waking the V8. The hybrid hardware inevitably adds weight, but Lamborghini has offset this with a comprehensive aerodynamic overhaul. A larger front splitter sits beneath a wider grille shaped to reduce lift and channel more air over the engine, while S-duct intakes, Naca ducts and bodywork slits cool components including the carbon-ceramic brakes. Prominent side skirts, a bigger rear spoiler and a new rear wing work together to generate downforce, with the front contributing most of the 14% extra downforce. Crucially, these changes also cut aerodynamic drag by 3%.
The car's tracks have been widened by 16mm, giving it a broader stance on the road, and it rides on new 22-inch or 23-inch wheels beneath carbonfibre wheel arches. Engineers were freed to pursue more mechanical grip because of the body control delivered by a new dual-chamber air suspension system that Lamborghini calls Aura. This is supported by a 6D drive computer positioned near the car's centre of gravity, measuring acceleration in three directions and angular velocities of pitch, roll and yaw. Four additional corner sensors allow the system to predict rather than merely react to road and track behaviour. Lamborghini says the technology also cuts the 124-0mph braking distance by two metres.
Driven at the Vairano di Vidigulfo proving ground near Milan, the SE Performante impressed with its eagerness to turn and its stability, offering enormous mechanical grip at both axles. The new suspension keeps the car flat through corners without the numbness or floatiness of more comfort-focused active anti-roll systems. In Sport mode, the hybrid system's instantaneous torque enables on-throttle rotation, pressing the outside rear wheel hard into the Tarmac. The body control is such that the car feels squat and reacts to quick direction changes like a much lighter machine, even lifting an inside front wheel through tighter corners. The ZF eight-speed automatic shifts more quickly under pressure and more smoothly when cruising.
Despite the performance focus, Lamborghini insists the SE Performante is more comfortable than its predecessor. A stint in the rear seats over rough support roads suggested the ride should be significantly improved. The car is expected to cost around £220,000 and will rival the BMW XM Label and Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid Coupé GT. Full economy and CO2 figures have yet to be confirmed.