THE WORLD’S FIRST SUPER SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE IS HERE

Lamborghini’s first SUV? Not quite. That was the mad Lamborghini LM002 which started out as a military project back in the 1970s, a big, square off-roader with Countach V12 power. Lamborghini does reference the LM002 in teaser videos, but the new Urus shares little DNA with that design. Even so, the concept of an SUV does have precedent in Lamborghini history. The first car the company ever made was a GT, the 350 GT, rather than a super sports car – and its combination of high performance, commanding driving position and space for four makes Urus the perfect 21st century grand tourer.

Despite the new format and higher stance, there are shared design elements with other members of the Lamborghini family. The feral, gaping front air intakes, angled LED headlights, chiselled lines and tapering glasshouse convey the essence of a Sant’Agata design while accommodating the SUV’s design imperatives of a higher ride height and extended cabin with space for four. Chunky wheelarches and minimal front and rear overhangs convey the all-terrain message, even if you’re unlikely ever to find a Lamborghini Urus crawling through assault-course mud.

Inside, it’s a civilised space with a slim Y-design dashboard and hexagonal design elements that echo the exterior design. Lamborghini still aims to make the driver feel like a pilot, despite the larger cabin; there are two screens, the upper one controlling media, navigation, telephone and car status while the lower has a keyboard and hand-writing compatible touchscreen for functions like climate control and HVAC. The Lamborghini Infotainment System is full compatible with Apple CarPlan and Android Auto, and among the many options is a B&O 3D sound system with 1,700 Watts. And because the Urus is front-engined, the rear hatch opens to reveal 600 litres of boot space.

Unlike the Lamborghini super sports cars, which are powered by a naturally-aspirated V10 (Huracán) or V12 (Aventador), the new Urus goes for forced aspiration in the form of a twin-turbo 4.0 V8 powering all four wheels via an 8-speed gearbox. Turbocharging gives the Urus ample power, at 650bhp, but more importantly huge reserves of torque with a peak of 850Nm delivered from just 2,250-rpm. For Lamborghini’s engineers, the latter characteristic was essential for a Super SUV. Performance is worthy of the charging bull; 0-62mph takes 3.6 seconds, 0-124mph (200 km/h an hour) just 12.8 seconds. Top speed is 190mph, making the Urus the fastest SUV in the world according to Lamborghini.

Like its VW Group cousin, the Bentayga, the Urus features 48V powered active anti-roll suspension technology, but unlike the Bentley the Lamborghini positively invites you to take to the track and push the Urus to its limits. The system reduces body roll by actively compensating for lean in corners, and together with the torque vectoring technology and four-wheel steering it delivers uncanny levels of agility. Drive modes selectable via the Tamburo include Strada (road), Sport, Corsa (track), Sabbia (sand), Terra (dirt), and Neve (snow). There can be few faster ways of covering vast distances with three or four passengers and luggage and still having a blast en route. Apart from the Starship Enterprise, of course.