The Electrifying New Lamborghini Urus SEs

When Lamborghini initially unveiled the so-called first super sport utility vehicle in world back in 2017, some eyebrows were raised as the Italian sportscar maker pivoted towards producing a crossover. However, in just four short years, the Urus became the company’s best-selling product ever due to its practical nature and performance.

An SE plug-in hybrid variant released this year that not only represents the highest horsepower offering in the range thus far, but also introduces tech to help it maintain grip on a multitude of different surfaces from street to sand. The model’s new capabilities were on full display at a Zion National Park drive experience in picturesque southwest Utah last month.

Thanks to an electric motor mounted between the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 and eight-speed automatic transmission, the SE manufactures a dizzying 789 horsepower and 701 lb-ft of torque; which is an additional 132 and 74, respectively, compared to the lightweight and slightly quicker track-focused Performante launched three years ago. A 25.9-kilowatt-hour battery fitted under the floor provides over 60 kilometres of optional zero emissions motoring at speeds up to around 130 kilometres per hour.

Sitting in the exotic vehicle, what’s immediately evident is how “normal” the cabin looks and feels—save for the engine start-stop button hidden under the classic fighter-jet-style flip-up red cover—though, this shouldn’t come as a surprise given many parts including the chassis and engine are shared with Volkswagen Group siblings the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q8. Controls are where one would expect them to be, and a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display has updated menus similar to what’s seen in the Revuelto.

The massage-equipped sport seats did a wonderful job of holding me tight, whether blasting down an empty stretch of highway bordered by the magnificent Beaver Dam Mountains to the west and the Pine Valley Mountains to the north, or traversing the many rut-riddled desert trails found near the Utah-Arizona border. The six available drive modes, accessible via the Anima Selector switch found to the left of the gearbox controls, completely alter the behaviour of the Urus to suit the different types of terrain.

In Strada (street) the ride is quite comfortable and quietly unassuming, while Sport and Corsa (race) modifies the throttle response, air suspension dampening and exhaust sound for dynamic driving. What I found particularly interesting was flipping down to Terra (earth) that raised the ride height and prioritized on-board settings to maximize grip in off-road conditions.

This, along with the new electric torque vectoring system and electronic limited-slip differential installed at the rear axle, gave me the ability and confidence to conquer rocky and windy backroads relatively easily, allowing the dialing in of precise, smooth manoeuvres while in pure EV mode.

Styling-wise, the SE showcases facelifted front fascia elements like slimmer matrix LED headlamps housing fresh signature DRL lighting, flattened front hood edge and a reworked bumper. Two extra paint colours have been added: Bianco Sapphirus (white) and a bright Arancio Egon (orange), the latter looking absolutely stunning against Utah’s varied natural landscape.

At the back, the taillamps are inspired by the legendary Gallardo connected to mesh elements below. A deeper window spoiler and more robust lower diffuser together yield a 35 per cent increase in downforce at high speed compared to the Urus S—a much welcome upgrade when getting from 0 to 100 kilometres takes only 3.4 seconds.

Fans of a fully-electric Lamborghini SUV may have some time to wait, as the second-generation Urus expected around 2029 is rumoured to be a hybrid.

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