Yahoo Autos Lamborghini Urus Performante First Drive Review: The Lambo SUV gets more Lambo
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – If you’ve followed the automotive industry for long enough, you likely remember when SUVs made by companies known for low-slung sports cars were the subject of controversial headlines. Fast-forward to 2023, and the controversial has become commonplace. Massive people-movers with supercar-like power are the status quo in the luxury segment, they usually outsell their more poster-friendly stablemates by a wide margin, and many of the companies who aren’t already on this bandwagon are looking for a place to jump on.
Unveiled in 2017, the Lamborghini Urus has amassed a significant following (it’s the Italian brand’s best-seller) and a growing list of rivals that includes the Aston Martin DBX. While it’s no longer the newest kid on the block, it recently received a round of updates and gained a range-topping Performante variant.
“We got a lot of new customers with the Urus,” said Luca Pacini, Lamborghini’s head of R&D strategy and projects coordination. “We’re happy that people recognize the Lamborghini brand in it, and we decided to characterize it even more by offering a wider range that stretches from comfort to performance — performance is Lamborghini’s DNA, after all. This caters to the demands of our customers.”
Releasing a sportier Urus makes perfect sense since sister company Bentley and rival Aston Martin both offer higher-spec variants of their SUVs. Still, calling it “Performante” is a bold move because Lamborghini has historically reserved this nameplate for hardcore evolutions of its V10-powered models. It’s not merely a marketing pirouette: the Pikes Peak record-setting Urus Performante stands out from the Urus S with a specific body kit that includes a redesigned front splitter and a reasonably subtle roof-mounted spoiler. Lamborghini claims these updates contribute to a not-insignificant 8% increase in downforce.
Carbon fiber parts (like the vented hood) and a titanium exhaust system designed by Akrapovič help make the Performante about 104 pounds lighter than the Urus S, though it nonetheless tips the scale at approximately 4,740 pounds. Light? Well … yes, kind of. Although the uber-Urus weighs about twice as much as a new Mazda MX-5 Miata, none of the models it competes against qualify for the “lightweight” label. Aston’s DBX 707 checks in at 4,940 pounds and every Bentayga variant weighs more than 5,000.
Chassis changes are part of the Performante treatment as well. Lamborghini replaced the adaptive, height-adjustable air struts it puts in the Urus S with simpler steel springs, though it retained the electromechanical active roll stabilization system and retuned it. These updates give the Performante a lower ride height (20 mm), and Lamborghini also widened the front and rear tracks (16 mm) to clear space for huge tires.
What the Performante doesn’t get is extra power. It ships with the same 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 found in the Urus S. The eight-cylinder develops 657 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 627 pound-feet of torque from 2,300 to 4,500 rpm, and it channels this output to the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and a Torsen center differential. Lamborghini quotes a zero-to-62-mph time of 3.3 seconds (down from 3.5 for the S) and a top speed of 190 mph (a few tenths more than the S).
More power can be difficult to argue against, but Lamborghini’s rationale is that the Performante doesn’t need to take all-you-can-eat turns at the horsepower counter. Its mission is to deliver the best-possible handling rather than the best-possible acceleration or the highest-possible top speed. This is the Urus you want to take on a trip across the Rockies, not one you want to take to the nearest drag strip.
