The Urus will get a twin-turbocharged V8, Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann and R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani told Autocar recently. The 4.0-liter engine was reportedly chosen as a compromise between performance and fuel economy. While still likely to produce big power, it should be less thirsty than Lambo’s naturally-aspirated V10 or V12.
The Lamborghini brass say the turbocharged engine also produces lots of low-end torque, which they believe will help its off-road performance. The engine will be exclusive to the Urus, although the rest of the SUV will likely borrow heavily from the Volkswagen Group parts bin. The Urus will likely use a version of the VW MLB platform that underpins the Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga.
Winklemann said he’s already sampled a prototype Urus equipped with the twin-turbo V8. He claimed the performance it offered was “more than any of us expected,” and promises that the Urus will be a “true Lamborghini.” The Lamborghini boss also said the Urus will be the “fastest among SUVs,” which will mean igniting a rivalry with fellow VW Group property Bentley and its 187-mph Bentayga.
The V8 may not be the only option in the Urus. A plug-in hybrid powertrain is still a possibility, Winkelmann said. The Urus is apparently being engineered to accept a battery pack and electric motor, just in case. Naturally, Lambo’s first SUV since the mental LM002 “Rambo Lambo” will be all-wheel drive, only.
Lamborghini now reportedly plans to debut the Urus at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, although it may move the launch up to the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. That’s somewhat later than previously discussed. Last year Winkelmann said the Urus would already be in production by 2017.
