Photo: Lamborghini
Some might call the Urus the automotive industry’s worst kept secret as far as SUVs are concerned. Some refer to the world’s first super SUV as a preview for the Audi Q8. Other people hold Lamborghini’s third model in the lineup in high regard for pushing the envelope, but the truth of the matter is, not even the Urus can deny the trend toward electrification, let alone Lamborghini.
If it weren’t for the environmentalist crowd and ever-restricting emissions regulations, Lamborghini would have offered the Urus exclusively with twin-turbo V8 power. But that’s wishful thinking in this day and age, as a Lamborghini insider mentioned to Auto Express: “we have to provide [hybrid] as an option,” referring to the plug-in hybrid Urus as “necessary.”
The name of the game is carbon dioxide, with the motoring publication expecting the plug-in hybrid powertrain to drop CO2 emissions “to around 70 grams per kilometer.” What that means is, the Urus PHEV will be the most fuel-efficient Lamborghini ever. But reading between the lines, this measure caters to “heavily-taxed regions like China and Japan.”
Regarding the oily bits, the Urus Plug-In Hybrid is expected to borrow the innards of the most powerful Porsche Panamera available at the moment. Turbo S E-Hybrid is the name, and despite the fact it develops 680 metric horsepower and 850 Nm of torque, the uber-sedan is NEDC-rated 2.9 liters per 100 kilometers, translating to 66 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
Bentley is also working on a plug-in hybrid setup of its own, but in comparison to Lamborghini, the British automaker will use a 3.0-liter V6 instead of the 4.0-liter V8 powering the Urus and Panamera. The Continental GT, next-generation Flying Spur, and Bentayga will be available as PHEVs.
If Lamborghini were free to do whatever it wants, not phased by the clutches of the Volkswagen Group and environmental outlook, it’s likely that the Urus Plug-In Hybrid would never have happened. Instead of a heavy and controversially styled SUV, the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese might have put the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful Asterion Concept in production as a middle finger salute to Ferrari and McLaren.
The name of the game is carbon dioxide, with the motoring publication expecting the plug-in hybrid powertrain to drop CO2 emissions “to around 70 grams per kilometer.” What that means is, the Urus PHEV will be the most fuel-efficient Lamborghini ever. But reading between the lines, this measure caters to “heavily-taxed regions like China and Japan.”
Regarding the oily bits, the Urus Plug-In Hybrid is expected to borrow the innards of the most powerful Porsche Panamera available at the moment. Turbo S E-Hybrid is the name, and despite the fact it develops 680 metric horsepower and 850 Nm of torque, the uber-sedan is NEDC-rated 2.9 liters per 100 kilometers, translating to 66 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
Bentley is also working on a plug-in hybrid setup of its own, but in comparison to Lamborghini, the British automaker will use a 3.0-liter V6 instead of the 4.0-liter V8 powering the Urus and Panamera. The Continental GT, next-generation Flying Spur, and Bentayga will be available as PHEVs.
If Lamborghini were free to do whatever it wants, not phased by the clutches of the Volkswagen Group and environmental outlook, it’s likely that the Urus Plug-In Hybrid would never have happened. Instead of a heavy and controversially styled SUV, the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese might have put the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful Asterion Concept in production as a middle finger salute to Ferrari and McLaren.
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