The Urus PHEV has a four-litre twin turbo V8, plus an electric motor that makes a total of 800 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Lamborghini’s money-making and best-selling model, the Urus, gets greener for 2025 with its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), the Urus SE. The SUV starts at more than $300,000 and replaces the S and Performante models. It’s a step toward the Italian maker’s transition to an electric future as it aims to bring its first all-electric vehicle to market before 2030.
“The real challenge is with electrification. We’ve managed the [transition] from total combustion engines to hybrids because the engine is there. But this was a tough process. You have five years of development and then a life cycle of eight to 10 years after that,” said Stephan Winkelmann, chief executive officer of Automobili Lamborghini ahead of the Urus SE test drive at Italy’s Nardo Technical Centre – one of the largest and most famous vehicle proving grounds in the world. “The major challenge for a super sports car company is to bring this company into safe waters without diluting the values of the brand.”
And judging by the Urus SE and the Revuelto, the company’s first PHEV, it has kept the brand safe. The Urus SE has a four-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine and a 25-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, situated below the floor and above the electronically controlled rear differential, and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. And the numbers are impressive – it has an electric range of more than 60 kilometres, 800 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque. As a result, it can sprint to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.4 seconds en route to a top speed of 312 kilometres an hour. Not only does that make it the fastest Urus ever built, it’s also the greenest with carbon emissions reduced by more than 80 per cent compared to the first generation, which launched in the 2018 model year. Even the paint has changed with the use of water-based colours – a new process that results in 15-per-cent less paint consumption.
For the first time, journalists were allowed to drive a vehicle at Nardo Technical Centre, an industry proving ground which has 17 test tracks on 1,730 acres of land in southern Italy. We start with drifting on the asphalt in a large open space. The Urus SE has 11 driving modes, including Sport, Corsa (track), and Sabbia (sand), as well as new EV modes such as Hybrid, Performance and Recharge options. We start in Sport mode, disengage the traction control, leave it in first gear to make the car oversteer and drift, and punch the accelerator hard. The SUV skids, burning serious rubber from the Pirelli P Zero tires. The vehicle slides but is stable, firmly planted and surprisingly easy to control. Compared with the original Urus, it has more rear-wheel driving bias, which makes it a blast to drive.
The second test track is a two-kilometre gravel road. We flick the switch on the centre console to Terra mode, which is designed for surfaces with a different grip than asphalt. We drive fast – more than 70 kilometres an hour; dust and debris fly everywhere. The new e-motor changes the driving dynamics, giving a power boost and more agility. The vehicle is extremely stable at high speeds and responsive even when cornering on low-grip surfaces like sand and dirt. The steering is also quick, responding to the driver’s input instantly.
And on the surrounding streets of Nardo, the SUV makes for a quiet, composed and well-mannered family vehicle. It’s comfortable and spacious, and will likely push sales of the Urus even higher.
For Lamborghini, the Urus has been “a game changer,” according to Winkelmann. Since the Urus launched in 2018, more than 35,000 SUVs have been sold globally. In 2023, Lamborghini sold more than 10,000 vehicles globally for the first time, and the company is on track to do the same in 2024. In the first six months of 2024, Lamborghini has sold more vehicles than in all of 2021. “It’s a very huge success – it’s the biggest success in terms of sales. And Canada is a very important market – it’s in the top 10,” Winkelmann said.
And that’s not all – more than 70 per cent of Urus owners are new to the brand and, for the first time, 41 per cent of customers are less than 40 years old. The Urus has also attracted more women to the brand – 13 per cent of Urus customers are females – that’s more than doubled since its launch.
The 2025 Urus SE starts at $305,015. Orders are open, and delivery is expected to start in the first quarter of 2025.
Tech specs
2025 Lamborghini Urus SE
- Price: $305,015 (plus $5,000 destination and delivery fee, plus tax)
- Engine: Four-litre twin-turbo V8, plus 192-horsepower electric motor
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 800 / 700
- Battery: 25.7 kilowatt-hours
- Transmission / drive: Eight-speed automatic / four-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption: Not available
- Alternatives: Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-hybrid, Aston Martin DBX 707, Mercedes-AMG G63, Ferrari Purosangue, Audi RS Q8
Looks
The Urus SE undergoes a midlife-cycle facelift, but it retains its Lamborghini lustre with a low stance, sporty proportions and an athletic body with larger air intakes, revamped LED headlights and tail lights, and new optional 23-inch wheels. At the rear is a lowered licence plate and a new black horizontal mesh inspired by the Lamborghini Gallardo. More than 150 exterior paint colours are available.
Interior
The front seats and dash of the new Urus SE.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
The cockpit is updated and more user friendly; it still has a jet-fighter feel but with a larger 12.3-inch centre screen and slimmer dashboard. Some functions are unnecessarily complicated such as adjusting the knee bolster on the driver’s seat. It’s a multistep process completed from the centre screen instead of the side of the seat. That’s also how you select the massage function on the driver’s seat too.
Performance
Fast, furious and fun to drive. Exceptional handling and a quiet cabin prevail at all speeds. Depending on the driving mode, the vehicle’s air springs adjust for ground clearance, with travel ranging from 15 to 75 millimetres.
Technology
The gear and drive mode selectors on the new Urus SE.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
There is plenty of standard and available technology, including wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
Cargo
There’s a respectable 454 litres of cargo space and plenty of room to store golf bags and groceries.
The verdict
Testing the 2025 Lamborghini Urus SE on the Nardò Technical Centre, which has 17 test tracks on 1,730 acres of land in southern Italy.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Lamborghini nails the plug-in hybrid version of its money-making Urus. It retains the Italian automaker’s iconic super sports car feel, exhilarating driving dynamics and intoxicating sound from its twin-turbo V8 engine, even though it’s gone greener.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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