Price (as tested) š²: $319,957Ā
Powertrain āļø: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8Ā
Output šŖ: 657 hp/627 lb-ft of torque
Transmission š¹: 8-speed automatic
0-60 MPH š¦: 2.9 seconds
Top Speed š„: 190 mph
MPG (as tested) ā½ļø: 14 city/19 hwy/16 combinedĀ
Curb weight āļø:
When supercar companies started making SUVs, a small chill crept up my spine.
Supercars are, in part, defined by their impracticality; too loud, too low, too cramped, too difficult to see out of – super sports cars are pretty much the opposite of traditional SUVs. How could one reconcile the disparate qualities to produce an effective, or even tolerable, āsuper SUV?ā
The first cracks in my mental barrier came from the Cayenne.
Years ago, when Porsche introduced its first SUV, purists just about lost their minds.
Porsche?! The maker of the illogically engineered, yet brilliant 911?
What on earth were they doing launching a sport utility vehicle?
The answer, of course, was saving their bottom line (the sports car business doesnāt move as many units as weād all like).
But they were also redefining the dynamic expectations of an SUV.
The Cayenne, several inches off the ground, could dance and communicate better than some dedicated sedans from other manufacturers.
It opened the door to a new segment.
But Porsches had always been a little too āpracticalā for their own good.
What about a vaunted, laser-focused performance manufacturer like Lamborghini – could they really merge supercar and SUV worlds?
My first drive in a Urus left me torn.
The sound was there (though not dialed up enough notches).
The handling was there (flatter and more agile than many lighter, lower machines)
The packaging, however, didnāt scream āsupercar.ā
Sure, the $220K price tag meant there wouldnāt be a herd of āem in parking lots, but the styling (in most specs) didnāt raise an eyebrow, and the interior was far too close to a $70K Audi Q8.
With the arrival of the Urus Performante, a tinge of hope emerged.
After all, the last āPerformanteā Iād driven (Huracan-flavored) was a nut job – and I loved it.
The Lambo SUVās āPerformanteā-ness comes from its stiffer, steel-sprung suspension, modest bump in power, weight savings, quicker-shifting transmission, and new Torsen center differential.
Itās not like I really had an issue with how the Urus handled before, but good gravy this 5,200-pound grocery-getter can hustle.
From immediate turn in, to unbreakable composure, to straight-line blasts, the Urus Performante pegs the needle on this segment.
It takes a stab at improving the āpresenceā point as well, with a lowered ride height and swaths of Alcantara inside.
Within me remains a last line of defense against outright acceptance of the āSuper SUV,ā and maybe driving the ānot-an-SUV-Ferrari-SUVā will knock down the final pins, but the small chill is, at least, long gone.