At this point, there’s not much by way of surprises pertaining to Lamborghini’s SUV in waiting, the Urus - at least in terms of its exterior design. We have little reason to believe it will look significantly different from the form it was unveiled in way back in 2012 in Beijing.
What has remained more of a mystery were the details of its mechanical aspects. Given that Lamborghini only produces two models, the Huracan and the flagship Aventador, the smaller but still immensely powerful naturally aspirated V10 engine of the former seemed a much more sane fit for the Italian high rider.
Today, though, through an interview with Autonews, Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali revealed that the Urus, which is earmarked for a 2018 launch, will instead be powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine that should be good for 485kW.
That’s as much as is known for now, and we’re left to speculate how exactly the power is transmitted to the wheels, but like all Lamborghinis (barring some special editions) it should almost certainly be all-wheel driven. Our money is on it being a shared transmission with the Huracan, a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic as the brands under the Volkswagen Group, namely Porsche and Audi, basically perfected the technology for production cars after first utilising it in motorsport.
Some are speculating that the V8 that will power the Urus will be a 4.0-litre unit which, if true, would likely mean it will use the same engine that debuted in the second-generation Porsche Panamera Turbo.
If that is true, another question surfaces, specifically if Domenicali meant the Urus would produce 485kW solely from internal combustion or will it require hybrid assistance, making this SUV a pioneering model for the Raging Bull not only for being their first SUV but also their maiden attempt at a hybrid.
The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid produces a system output of 500kW and 850Nm from its 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 and 100kW electric motor combination. And like the Porsche, the most powerful Urus could likely have a near-identical powertrain - albeit detuned to 485kW in its transition.
Next year, the Urus should see a European launch somewhere in the second quarter with most of the other major markets not far behind, pegged at slightly below 200,000 Euros or around $297 in Australian Dollars.
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