FIRST DRIVES
LAMBORGHINI URUS PERFORMANTE
Hardcore SUV brings more power, less weight, sharper dynamics and extra drama
❝ The Performante felt immediately keener thanks to its recalibrated engine ❞
TESTED 12.6.22, NARDO, ITALY ON SALE LATE 2022
Its name might cause some raised eyebrows given the branding was last applied to a lightweight, trackfocused Huracán, but it is hard to fault the marketing logic behind the Urus Performante. This is a more senior version of Lamborghini’s hugely fast SUV, one intended to keep on terms with turned-up rivals like the Aston Martin DBX 707 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT – plus the Ferrari Purosangue, which we will see in production form soon.
As with the Huracán Performante, the Urus gets more power and less mass, although the changes over the existing car are modest. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 now makes 657bhp – a diabolical 666 metric horsepower – which represents a 16bhp increase over the standard Urus. Weight has fallen by 47kg thanks to changes such as a carbonfibre bonnet, reduced soundproofing and lighter suspension, but the Performante still tips the scales at 2150kg. The performance has been significantly improved, according to Lambo’s numbers: the Performante’s 3.3sec 0-62mph time is three-tenths inside the regular Urus’s and its 11.5sec 0-124mph time is 1.3sec quicker.