Lamborghini’s Urus Performante Is a Next-Level Super SUV
Lamborghini’s Urus Performante raises the bar on Super SUV sportiness and performance with design emphases that reflect the new Urus’ prowess on the street, track and loose surfaces.
The Urus Performante resounds with bold, aeronautical dynamism, from first glance, at every angle: it’s not just from the front that the Performante commands the road. A pure, sharper, more prominent bonnet and bumper design immediately highlights the Performante’s super sports genetics yet retains the Urus’ innate elegance. The Urus Performante’s extensive use of composite materials makes it the car with the highest number of carbon fibre parts in its segment.
“The Urus Performante’s very bold and characterful design perfectly integrates the improved aerodynamics incorporating the front bumper’s air curtain, with significant visual differentiation including the new lightweight carbon fibre engine bonnet and extensive use of carbon fibre throughout reminding of its ‘Performante’ heritage. This benchmarking Urus is designed as a unique driver-oriented Super SUV,” says Mitja Borkert, Head of Design.
With deep cuts in the hood lines down to the new front bumper, the bonnet including air outlet is forged from lightweight carbon fibre in body colour or partially visible carbon fibre as an option. A roof in optional carbon fibre references Lamborghini super sports models such as Huracán Performante and Super Trofeo.
The front bumper and splitter in carbon fibre sport assertive new lines: new black front air-intakes deliver increased engine cooling and maximum expression of the SUV’s super sports heritage. A new air curtain draws airflow over the front wheels, within an aerodynamic design theme that decreases drag the new bonnet’s air outlet contribute to the overall aerodynamics efficiency and helps the engine cooling. The newly-designed rear spoiler, increases rear downforce of the Urus Performante by 38%.
New steel springs lower the Performante’s chassis by 20 mm, with a wheel track that is broader by 16 millimetres, over which wider carbon fibre wheel arches embrace new optional 23” or forged 22” lightweight wheels with titanium bolts and specially developed Pirelli tires.
In profile, the Urus Performante’s lowered stance is accented by its prominent front, and rear wing and bumper, increasing its overall length by 25 mm. The rear of the Urus Performante is equally distinctive by its purposeful high-performance design. A rear spoiler with carbon fibre fins takes design inspiration from the Aventador SVJ and contributes to the increased downforce.
The lower rear bumper and diffuser is also in carbon fibre with a lightweight titanium Akrapovič sports exhaust as standard, developing its characteristic Lamborghini resonance depending on the drive mode selected. The bi-colour livery scheme accentuates the dynamism of this Performante model: against the body colour, features such as black painted door handles, CFK air outlets over the bonnet and CFK spoiler lip.
Inside, the cockpit features Nero Cosmus black Alcantara as standard with a new hexagonal seat stitching design, the “Performante trim”, and further options including a leather interior. Dedicated colour and trim options include extension of the Performante trim on doors, roof-lining, seat backrest and rear wall, with further Ad Personam customisation including interior matt carbon fibre details, red door handles, and a customised kickplate with Ad Personam logo. The black Alcantara/leather steering wheel is trimmed in matt black as well as the Aluminum interior trim in black anodized. With the optional “Dark Package”, the matt black treatment can be extended to other interior details including the lever of the Urus’ central ‘TAMBURO’, hosting controls such as the start/stop button and drive mode selector. A new HMI graphic, with a dedicated design for the Urus Performante, features on both the centre console screen and in a large arc across the main display.
“The Urus Performante takes to the road as a lightweight, honed athlete. Its muscular stance, distinctive design, V8 twin turbo powerplant and lightweight sports exhaust establish it through sight, sound and experience as the most exciting contender on every road, track and loose surface. This is a super sports car driver’s SUV,” says Rouven Mohr, Chief Technical Officer.
The Performante’s power is increased by 16 CV to 666 CV, and its weight reduced by 47 kg, giving it a best-in-class weight-to-power ratio of 3,2. Accelerating from 0-100 km/h in just 3.3 seconds, and braking from 100 km to standstill in 32.9 m, the Urus Performante produces 850 Nm of torque at 2,300 to 4,500 rpm, with its benchmarking longitudinal abilities including a top speed of 306 km/h matched by its responsiveness, handling and stability. Aerodynamic efficiency is improved, and overall downforce increases by 8%. Torque distribution is optimized thanks to a new differential, delivering a ratio increase from 3.16 to 3.4 in drive conditions and from 3.02 to 3.33 when coasting.
The tires Pirelli P Zero (sizes 285/40 R22 and 325/35 R22) come alongside with an evolution of the Urus Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R: for the first time, the Pirelli semi-slick tire has been developed to meet the characteristics of an SUV, with this particular variant developed in co-operation with Lamborghini. The result of the collaboration is a tire with increased versatility, returning high performance both on dry asphalt with high ambient temperatures and on wet surfaces with colder temperatures.
At the wheel, the Urus Performante allows the driver a new intimacy with the road beneath him, with enhanced agility, feedback and sports orientation. A recalibration of the front wheel steering enhances connection with the road with precise inputs and direct feedback. The rear-wheel steering’s faster intervention increases turn-in agility complemented by torque vectoring of the rear differential both on-road and in off-road mode.
The re-engineered drive modes allow the Urus Performante pilot to select the perfect set-up for every environment: in STRADA, the Urus provides a comfortable and luxurious ride with smooth damping. In SPORT mode the driver enjoys enhanced throttle response, with the rear-wheel steering more agile at low speeds and stable at high speed, with oversteer fun-to-drive characteristics and a faster gear-shift: the sportier chassis set-up including new stiffer steel springs and specific dampers’ tuning, maximizes feedback to engage the pilot in serious driving fun.
Alongside the standard drive modes, the Urus Performante introduces a new rally selection, elevating the Super SUV’s fun-to-drive sportiness to a thrilling new level on dirt tracks. Its oversteer character is amplified with anti-roll and damping systems optimized for steel springs on rough and more extreme surfaces, raising the bar for a new level of Super SUV performance.