Lamborghini has given its most hardcore SUV a hybrid heart, and the result is a machine that somehow manages to be both wilder and more composed than before. The new Urus SE Performante combines the plug-in hybrid powertrain from the Urus SE with fresh motorsport-derived chassis technology, producing an 800bhp super-SUV with sharper aerodynamics and a clever new suspension system that fights body roll in ways the old, purely petrol-powered Performante never could.

At the heart of the car is a twin-turbocharged V8 paired with an electric motor, fed by a 25.9kWh battery tucked beneath the boot floor. That battery grants the SE Performante a 37-mile electric range and the ability to cruise at up to 81mph on electric power alone, meaning owners can glide through town and onto the motorway without waking the engine, much like in a standard Urus SE. The hybrid hardware does add weight, but Lamborghini insists the car is still more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor, with a 3% cut in drag alongside a 14% boost in downforce, most of which comes from a reshaped front end rather than the beefed-up rear spoiler and wing.

Visually, the SE Performante wears a wider grille, bigger front splitter, S-duct intakes, Naca ducts and prominent side skirts, all functional rather than decorative, helping cool the carbon-ceramic brakes and shape airflow. Wider tracks, new 22in and 23in wheels and chunkier carbonfibre arches make it look even more planted on the road.

The real party piece, though, is the new 'Aura' dual-chamber air suspension, governed by a centrally mounted '6D' computer that tracks six motion parameters alongside four corner sensors, letting the system anticipate road and track conditions rather than simply react. Lamborghini claims this slashes body roll by 50% and trims braking distance from 124mph to a stop by two metres, while sharpening the Urus's already playful Rally mode.

On Lamborghini's Vairano di Vidigulfo test track near Milan, the car impressed with flat, connected cornering in both Strada and Corsa modes, while Sport mode let the extra torque provoke genuine on-throttle rotation, even lifting an inside front wheel through tight bends. The claimed 3.3sec 0-62mph sprint feels every bit as brutal as advertised, accompanied by a meatier V8 soundtrack and extra exhaust crackle.

Despite the extra violence, engineers say the same technology improves comfort and refinement, with the ZF eight-speed automatic shifting more intelligently. Pricing is expected around £220,000, pitching the SE Performante against rivals like the BMW XM Label and Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid Coupé GT.

Source: Autocar

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