Lamborghini has pulled the wraps off the new Urus SE Performante, and it’s now the quickest, most powerful and most dramatic looking version of its bestselling super SUV. Built to take on rivals like the Ferrari Purosangue, Aston Martin DBX and Bentley Bentayga, this latest Urus pushes the formula further than ever before.
Power and Performance
The SE Performante produces 801 hp (597kW) and 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of torque, an increase of 144 hp (107 kW) and 150 Nm (110 lb-ft) over the outgoing Performante model.
That jump comes courtesy of a plug-in hybrid setup, pairing a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with a single electric motor and a 25.9kWh battery pack. Drive goes to all four corners through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It’s essentially the same hybrid system used in the standard Urus SE, but Lamborghini’s engineers have reworked the software to sharpen throttle response and cut down on lag.
Despite carrying more than 300 kg of extra hardware thanks to the hybrid components, and now tipping the scales at 2,473 kg, the SE Performante matches its predecessor’s 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint of 3.3 seconds. It’s actually quicker on the way to 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph), managing the run in 10.8 seconds, and top speed has crept up slightly to 312 km/h (194 mph).
Buyers get more than half a dozen drive modes to play with, including a Rally setting tuned specifically for having fun on loose surfaces.
Efficiency Meets Excess
For those wanting to sneak past the neighbourhood watch quietly, the hybrid system allows for an electric only range of 59.5 km (37 miles). But when you want to be heard, a new titanium exhaust developed with Akrapovič turns up the volume considerably.
That exhaust also happens to save 10 kg in weight. Add in generous use of carbon fibre across the bonnet, roof, wheel arches, side skirts, rear diffuser and spoiler, and the new Performante ends up 32 kg lighter than the regular Urus SE.
Bold New Face
The redesigned front end isn’t just there to turn heads, although it certainly does that too. Lamborghini design boss Mitja Borkert explained that the larger, more aggressive air intakes were needed to improve cooling for both the V8 and the braking system, with the added bonus of giving the car serious road presence. The SE Performante sits on enormous 23 inch wheels, and the bonnet now features an S duct vent to help manage airflow.
Suspension and Chassis Upgrades
For the first time on any Urus, the SE Performante gets dual chamber air suspension paired with dual valve adaptive dampers. Where the previous Performante made do with semi active fixed spring suspension, this new setup allows for a much broader spread between plush comfort and track focused sharpness, switching character almost instantly.
Lamborghini says the changes cut body roll during cornering by more than 50 percent compared to the old Performante, while also reducing vibration through the cabin by a quarter.
Stefano Cossalter, the brand’s product director for Urus, said the three year development process paid off, calling the result “the best SUV in the market.”
To fine tune how the car reads the road, Lamborghini has fitted eight accelerometers, one at each wheel hub and four more spread across the chassis. There’s also a 6D sensor borrowed from the limited run Fenomeno hypercar, mounted near the car’s centre of gravity to help predict how it will react and to sharpen braking performance.
Cabin and Tech
Inside, the layout carries over from the standard Urus SE, with twin 12.3 inch displays taking centre stage. Physical toggle switches remain on the centre console alongside the aircraft inspired gear selector, flanked by separate controls for drive mode and hybrid settings.
Final Send Off for the Current Urus
The SE Performante arrives as one of the last hurrahs for this generation of Urus, which is now eight years old. Lamborghini has confirmed a next generation model is already in development, due in 2029, and it too will use plug in hybrid V8 power, quite possibly with even more output than what we see here.
Pricing and South African availability have not yet been confirmed by Lamborghini. We’ll update this article with rand pricing as soon as official figures are released.
