The Italian sports car maker Lamborghini has confirmed that its high-riding SUV – the first off-roader to wear the Raging Bull logo since the LM002 of the 1980s – will be the company's first foray into electric propulsion with a plug-in hybrid variant as part of the model range. Lamborghini's research and development chief, Maurizio Regianni, said that the Urus would be the only Lamborghini to feature hybrid technology in the foreseeable future, leaving its Huracan and Aventador sportscars to be powered by naturally-aspirated V10 and V12 engines respectively.
Regianni also claims that the design of the Urus is pure Lamborghini. It has evolved considerably since the 2015 concept and the finished car is much better inside and out. Turbocharging will be “completely mandatory” for the Urus, because as an SUV it needs huge torque. The car be powered by the same twin-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8 as the Audi RS6/ RS7 which produces up to 445kW and 750Nm. Final details of the hybrid system, its outputs, and electric range are still unknown at this point in time, but a pre-production Urus is expected to be revealed at the 2017 Geneva motor show in March ahead of the new model's 2018 production debut.
It's certainly nice to hear that there are people at Lamborghini that still value the subjective aspects that make sports cars great. It's also news that's sure to put fans of Lamborghini's classic, naturally aspirated sports cars at ease.
