Lamborghini Urus SE prototype review: super SUV gets hybrid power

What is this, then?

The Lamborghini Urus SE. It scrawls a new line in the increasingly boisterous sands of the performance SUV. As a plug-in hybrid, too. Yep, Lambo’s Cor Tauri electrification strategy moves on a notch by claiming perhaps its least controversial – and no doubt biggest selling – victim. Giving it a healthy dose of e-power is an easy way to lower the average CO2 of the brand in one fell swoop…

A 612bhp 4-litre twin-turbo V8 pairs with a 189bhp (and 356lb ft!) electric motor for totals of 789bhp and 700lb ft, the latter delivered from just 1,750rpm. That makes the SE the most powerful Urus ever, as well as the new benchmark in the super-duper SUV category. More power than a Ferrari Purosangue, Aston Martin DBX 707 or in-house rival Porsche’s recently electrified Cayenne Turbo GT is quite a statement.

So how quick is it?

It also heralds a 3.4-second sprint to 62mph, down a tenth on the outgoing Urus S despite the extra paunch plug-in hybrid power brings. There are myriad benefits, too, not least its circa 40 miles of emissions-free range when the 25.9kWh battery is fully charged. The top speed is 194mph, up 4mph on the Urus S, or 81mph in EV mode. The motor is placed inside the eight-speed automatic gearbox, rather than upon either of the axles, ensuring the Urus SE remains 4WD even on battery power alone. It can also play a role in the power distribution and traction of the car.

Indeed, more exciting than its monstrous new peak output is a rethink of how the Urus handles. The SE debuts a new electronic torque vectoring system which spreads its vociferous power variably – and continuously – between the front and rear axles. It converses with a new electronic limited-slip differential at the rear to further perk up its cornering attitude courtesy of torque vectoring by braking.

Um, so it’ll drift more easily?

“The Urus SE is positioned at the top of its class in terms of being fun to drive and for its driving dynamics,” Lambo’s chief technical officer Rouven Mohr tells me. “Even if legislation hadn’t changed, electrifying this car would have a lot of advantages. The reactiveness is even better. You have more opportunity to play with torque distribution and to adapt the car better to the driver’s wishes.” So yes, it’ll drift.

Rouven acknowledges the Urus has put on weight – another 307kg yielding a 2.5-tonne total – but that Lambo’s suite of electronics help mitigate that, too. “You can do things with a car in a weight class that wasn’t possible ten years ago. Developments in tyre technology also play a role here. But in the end, physics is physics.

“I think [Ferrari’s] Side Slip Control was a good step though we always have our own interpretation. The electronic control theory is now on another level. Not a lot of brands invest so much in it; for us it’s as much of a core competence as carbonfibre construction.”

So does it work?

You find us in deepest, darkest Sweden for a chance to try the car two months ahead of its big Beijing show reveal. Temperatures hover around -36degC and the roads are frozen solid with ice. Lambo has laid on a Huracan Sterrato for context. Which seems a little harsh on the new Urus when that’s the paragon of off-road high jinks and boasts a crisp naturally aspirated engine with no hybrid complexity.

Yet as far as I can tell through the dense soles of my winter boots, Rouven’s team have achieved an uncommon level of throttle clarity and powertrain intuitiveness from a PHEV. Sure, pure electric mode barely lasts a moment in such cold conditions and I can muster no conclusion on how well it’ll handle low-speed shuffling between petrol and electric power. The V8 barely gets a rest today.

But at higher speeds and during slapstick drift figures of eight, the transition between the two portions of its powertrain feels nailed. The e-diff inspires extreme confidence out here, and slides are very easy to instigate and maintain almost solely with the throttle. As ever, the Urus’s chunky ‘Tamburo’ drive selector toggles through different settings. In Sport mode, the 4WD split is roughly 30:70 front/rear but remains variable to conditions.

Corsa (aka Race) shifts the split to 40:60 (though it’s still variable) and immediately feels much keener to involve both axles. It’s the one to have out here on the ice, casting a wider safety net and instilling a stronger sensation of being pulled out of corners by carefully measured but prodigious e-motor torque. Whichever mode I choose there’s a crisp, instant shift in power distribution and none of the dithering or indecision some PHEVs exhibit under pressure.

Surely it’s heavy, though?

Out here, its additional 307kg over the Urus S is intangible; an extra 132bhp negates it but so does the newfound agility, fun and finesse that’s missing in even the Urus Performante. The new powertrain has transformed a sharp SUV into a scintillating one. At least within the comical arena of a frozen lake.

While I also get the chance to sample the Urus on actual roads, ride quality and steering feel can’t really be assessed in such dramatic conditions: though it’s worth pointing out the rock-solid ice that lines most of the tarmac doesn’t seem to upset progress too much.

So it’s not embarrassed by the Sterrato?

After an afternoon exploring the Urus’s sharper, wiser update, bringing along the Huracan no longer seems so silly. The SE doesn’t linger awkwardly in its shadow. The Sterrato is significantly lighter and lower and delivers less torque (albeit on a more razor-sharp curve) yet it’s the Urus that truly inspires confidence in these conditions. The mid-engined supercar is a hoot too, of course; for the two to feel like able playmates today speaks volumes about the dynamic strides the Urus has taken with its latest facelift.

What else is new?

New styling is designed to be more sophisticated and widen the Urus’s remit yet further after six years on sale. Matrix LED headlights incorporate a new ‘bull tail’ signature while the bonnet does away with traditional shut lines. Redesigned bumpers and grilles update the styling while boosting cooling and aero.

At the rear, a mesh strip harks back to the Gallardo’s mid-life update while the number plate drops down and sits above a diffuser with 35 per cent more downforce at high speed than the Urus S. Inside a larger 12.3in touchscreen brings Lambo’s latest graphics, carried over from the Revuelto, while there’s a subtle pivot point for the bottom of your palm to allow for easier use on the move.

The Urus’s six familiar driving modes now combine with a host of electric power strategies for a total of 11 configurations. Strada, Sport, Corsa (the road and track settings), and Neve, Sabbia, and Terra (the off-road modes) are now accompanied by EV Drive, Hybrid, Performance, and Recharge, the former prioritising those emission-free miles and the opportunity to slink away from home silently each morning.

“Not everyone is as emotional for the sound of cars as us,” smiles Rouven. The four-wheel steering and air suspension systems have been calibrated specifically to each mode, with adjustments in ride height and body roll management from the 48v anti-roll system, too.

Should I trade in my old one, then?

Lambo’s product bosses say the Urus has a loyal fanbase and many of its owners are repeat purchasers, already on their second or third car. They also put proper miles on their cars. So they’ll barely need convincing to try something fresher, sharper and – yes – faster than the car before it.

Worried it won’t punch as hard as your Performante? It’s safe to assume that will be replaced in due course. “It’s clear that we always work on the next steps,” smiles Rouven. “If you had an engineer who wasn’t thinking about the next step they should retire. Whether it’s a Performante or something else, let’s wait and see. We have some cool ideas. This drivetrain has lots of potential.”

This isn’t Lambo’s last line in the sand…