Lamborghini Urus first drive review
- Monstrous acceleration
- Handles like a Lamborghini SUV should
- Sumptuous, spacious cabin
- Polarising looks
- Sharp ride on patchy roads
- Expensive options list
A wave of dust washes up the side window as a rooster tail of dirt swings into the air off the front wheels.
This is a bit of problem because I need that lateral vision to see where I'm going as the car suddenly jacks sideways when 850Nm of earth moving torque is unleashed onto the sandy, muddy road that's been carved into the side of a hill adjacent to the Vallelunga circuit just outside of Rome.
With a quick twist of countersteer, in an instant the all-wheel drive system uses its electronic trickery to shift all that pulling power to where its most needed and the car squats, straightens up and thrusts forward with immense acceleration.
It bucks and bounces over the ruts as a barrage of gravel is fired at its underside, creating a rocky rythmn underneath the roar from the twin-turbo V8 singing towards the top of its rev range.
Then, for a split second, it all goes eerily quiet when all four wheels leave the ground as we launch into the air and my stomach is sent into my throat. We land with any drama yet the theatrics continue with sliding, dirt churning, bucking good fun.
Only a millionaire masochist with endless funds and a friendly smash repairer would treat a Lamborghini like this. But this is unlike any other modern Lamborghini - this is the Urus, the Italian car maker's inevitable entry into the luxury SUV segment.
It's a car that shares more in common with the Porsche Cayenne and Bentley Bentayga - both of which have been equally out-of-bounds brand busters - than just their fundamental underpinnings. Just as the Cayenne did more than 15 years ago, the Urus has been created to not only satisfy a seemingly endless global appetite for high-riding luxury cars, but ensure the Italian car maker has a profitable and sustainable long-term future with big enough cash reserves to invest in expensive future technologies that will make its hallmark sports cars meet future regulations while being faster and more powerful than ever before.
Cynics will no doubt claim the brand is selling out and diluting its pedigree, which Porsche was also accused of, but the significance of the Urus' success can not be underestimated in guaranteeing Lamborghini survives deep into a tumultuous next decade that threatens to eliminate traditional, indulgent supercars such as its flagship Aventador.
In any case, the Urus can't be ignored, highlighted by an impressive set of numbers that imediately places it at the summit of SUV-land.
Priced from $390,000 (plus on-road costs), it arrives as one of the most expensive cars of its type. And that's before ticking anything on the extensive options list that could easily send the final price beyond half-a-million bucks - or more!
It is also the most powerful in its class (at the moment), with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that delivers 478kW and 850Nm to the ground through a complex all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The end result is the kind of performance expected from a car wearing the Raging Bull badge, with the ability to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and maxing out with a top speed of 305km/h - making it both the quickest and fastest SUV on the planet.
Lamborghini says it spent considerable effort in ensuring the Urus is not only powerful, but also overcomes the physical compromises of a high-riding SUV to handle like a sports car should. While it is hardly a featherweight machine, it is the lightest of the new breed of uber luxury SUVs, tipping the scales at 2135kg, has the lowest centre of gravity and, with rear-wheel steering, electrically-controlled anti-roll bars and standard carbon ceramic brakes, it is the most agile of its type.
More than that, it can go where no other Lambo has gone before thanks to a multi-stage drive controller - configured in a device within the centre console called the Tamburo - which tailors elements such as the engine, gearbox, stability control and air suspension across six settings, Strada (street), Sport, Corsa (track), Sabbia (sand), Terra (gravel) and Neve (snow).
It can carry more than two people as well, which is something the Huracan and Aventador cannot do. Available as a conventional five-seater or with an optional four-seat configuration that features a pair of business class seats in the back, Lamborghini has countered the fact the Urus has the lowest roofline in its class by dropping the hip points of the front and rear seats as much as possible, claiming that adults up to 190cm tall can still fit comfortably in the back. And they won't go without their luggage either, with more than 600L of cargo capacity in the boot that is big enough to fit two full-size golf bags or up to eight overhead cabin bags.
Breaking more boundaries, it is the first car from the Italian car maker to feature the latest semi-automated driving systems, including automated emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control.
The end result is a car that is right up to date with modern demands and regulations, but still continues to ask the question of whether it is a legitimate Lamborghini.
On the Road
Any doubts about the Urus' credentials are quickly diminished when you see it in the metal for the first time, as its sleek but angular design cannot be mistaken for anything but a Lamborghini.
It's certainly not a pretty car, and there are some awkward design elements like the rear handle that appears as if it has been plonked in the middle of the door, but it has unmistakable presence, particularly in the searing yellow hero paint.
The drama continues when you slide behind the wheel as the cabin carries the jet fighter theme from the Huracan and Aventador, including the signature flip-top starter button, but fuses it with a sense of modern convenience and connectivity thanks to two high-resolution displays in the centre console - the top one being a comprehensive multimedia system with Bluetooth, smartphone mirroring, audio controls, digital radio and sat nav that's compatible with Google Earth, while the lower display features haptic buttons for the ventilation, seats and light settings.
There is also a sense of space unlike any other Lambo, with a commanding view from the driver's seat, decent small item storage and more than enough room in the rear seats to entertain friends or family without too much compromise.
The cabin is lavishly appointed enough to justify its price, with sumptuous leather, soft touch faux suede and plenty of carbon fibre highlights. But look past the glamour and you'll find enough shared components and switches from the Volkswagen parts bin, some of which diminish its exclusivity.
Again, those elements quickly disappear when you're actually driving the Urus. Even in its most comfortable Strada setting, it feels like a Lamborghini should - like a mad bull waiting to meet a Matador.
On a smooth road, it is surprisingly refined; the engine effortlessly uses its low-end pulling power to lope along with the tacho barely ticking over and the exhaust emitting a subtle V8 burble; the gearbox shifts through to the tallest gears without any interruptions; the steering is light; and the brakes feel more natural through the pedal than other carbon ceramic stoppers.
But, as soon as the road turns patchy, the stiff suspension can be a little unbearable and rattles the cabin.
On the flip side, when the road turns twisty and you unleash the Urus' full performance it all makes sense. For starters, it is phenomenally fast thanks to the engine's monstrous torque output. It is loud too when you switch to either Sport or Corsa settings, which opens-up the exhaust system to produce a bellowing soundtrack under acceleration that is amplified through the audio system. It's a gorgeous, guttural growl at low to middle revs, but then it sounds whooshy when the revs rise under full throttle acceleration.
It's nothing like the Huracan's V10 or the Aventador's V12, which spin upto 8000rpm with a rising cresendo. But then again, neither of those engines can produce the kind of thrust from the turbo charged V8 that makes the Urus feel just as thrilling to drive.
Beyond its straight-line speed, the combined effect of the Urus' chassis trickery - the rear-biased all-wheel drive system, rear-wheel steering, electric anti-roll bars, tightened air suspension and huge 23-inch Pirelli P Zero tyres - certainly makes it the most dynamic SUV out there. The steering is fast and fulsome, pointing it towards apexes without delay, and it sits flat through the bends, hangs on with amazing mid-corner grip and has plenty of stopping power. It's like a monster truck met a rally car; intimidating and playful at the same time.
Ultimately though, it doesn't completely alter the laws of physics as it can't entirely escape being an SUV but it certainly lives up to the pedigree of the Raging Bull badge with a character like no other high-performance soft roader rival.
That it can also be a decent bush basher and head off the beaten track with a fair degree of competence showcases the Urus' broad depth of talents.
Verdict
In the end, the Urus is a real Lamborghini and a genuinely practical and comfortable SUV in equal measures, which simply makes it, both literally and metaphorically, the Lamborghini of SUVs.
2018 Lamborghini Urus Price and Specification
Price: From $390,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol
Power: 478kW at 6000rpm
Torque: 850Nm at 2250-4500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, AWD
Fuel use: 12.3L/100km
Haven't we been here before?
The Urus isn't Lamborghini's first Sport Utility Vehicle. Long before Porsche broke the mould for sports car makers with the Cayenne, the Italian brand built the ultimate off-roader with its LM002.
The chunky, four-door ute was originally designed as a military vehicle for the Libyan armed forces, but was offered as a civilian vehicle when the order was cancelled.
Just 300 were built between 1986 and 1992, each of them powered by a version of the 5.2-litre V12 from the famed Countach sports car that earned it the nickname Rambo's Lambo.
Pristine examples of those still in existence are worth more than the Urus, with a recent example selling at auction in the US for more than $500,000.
Five SUVs that changed the world
The Urus might be a brand-buster for Lamborghini, but it's not the first SUV to break new ground.
Here are five icons that have helped forge the modern SUV.
Willy's Jeep
The original four-wheel drive was developed for the US forces in World War II, and inspired the iconic Jeep Wrangler.
Range Rover
Land Rover shifted the needle with its first Range Rover, effectively creating the luxury four-wheel drive segment back in the 1970s.
Subaru Outback
Some might argue about its ultimate SUV credentials, but the Subaru Outback is often credited as the first car-like crossover.
Mercedes-Benz ML-Class
Mercedes-Benz cottoned on to the luxury SUV craze before any of its rivals, introducing the ML in 1997.
Porsche Cayenne
Porsche was on the verge of going belly-up before it introduced the Cayenne. Now it is one of the most profitable car makers in the world.
Wait, there's more...
Lamborghini won't be the last car maker to break from the shackles of tradition and create an SUV.
Rolls-Royce is putting the finishing touches on its Cullinan, which it dubs a High-Sided Vehicle rather than an SUV. The gargantuan wagon is based on the latest Phantom limousine and will undoubtedly become the most expensive car of its type when it is revealed later this year.
Ferrari is also developing an SUV of sorts, which will likely eclipse the Urus as the fastest, most powerful soft roader when it launches before 2020. And Aston Martin is due to reveal its DBX within the next 12 months.
There is at least one sports car brand that is resisting the temptation, however, with McLaren saying it will never build an SUV. Let's wait and see about that...