Toby Hagon’s 2019 Lamborghini Urus Review with Price, Specs, Performance, Ride and Handling, Practicality, Infotainment, Ownership, Safety, Verdict and Score.
In a nutshell: There’s less fire in the Urus than there is in Lamborghini sports cars, but it still sets a cracking pace by go-fast SUV standards – in a straight line and through corners.
2019 Lambroghini Urus Specifications
Price $390,000, plus on-road and dealer costs Warranty 3 years, unlimited km Safety Not rated Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 Power 478kW at 6000rpm Torque 850Nm at 2250-4500rpm Transmission 8-speed auto Drive Four-wheel drive Dimensions 5112mm (L), 2016mm (W), 1623mm (H), 3003mm (WB) Ground Clearance 158-248mm claimed Kerb Weight 2268kg Angles 27.9 degrees (approach), 28.3 degrees (departure), 22.2 degrees (rampover) (all angles when car at highest ride height) Towing Not rated GVM 2875kg Boot Space 616L (5-seat), 574L (4-seat) Spare Repair kit Fuel Tank 85L Thirst 12.7L/100km
Want to traverse the Simpson Desert then set a lap record at Bathurst? This could be the car for you.
The Lamborghini Urus promises supercar performance with the practicality of an SUV, or an SSUV – super sports utility vehicle – according to its maker. With a top speed of 305km/h it’s one of the fastest SUVs on the planet (fighting it out with various versions of the Bentley Bentayga) yet it has the dramatic angular styling befitting a brisk Italian.
Its supercar-inspired styling features a low body that is longer and wider than many traditional SUVs.
What’s in the range and how much does it cost?
There’s only one Urus model, albeit one you can heavily tailor to your tastes. The price officially starts at $390,000 before on-road and dealer costs, between them adding around $30K, depending on what state you buy and register it in. While early deliveries required you to splash out another $11,665 for the 21-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, the car is now available with the standard audio setup.
Options are plentiful, from colouring and trimming almost any surface to your liking. Stitching on the seats is $1237, for example, or you can get high gloss touches outside for $3535. There’s even headrests with the Lamborghini logo embroidered on for $1591 and floor mats with leather piping and double stitching for another $1237. Other options include ambient lighting ($5656), digital radio tuning ($1414) and the 23-inch wheels on our car ($10,428).
Standard gear includes two infotainment screens and a digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, parking sensors at either end, adjustable dampers, head-up display, leather trim, electrically operated front seats and sizeable carbon ceramic brakes.
What’s the interior and practicality like?
Like the aggressive exterior there is a healthy dose of wow factor to the interior. The red flip-up cover over the stop-start button is the perfect example, bringing some fighter jet thinking into the cabin. Lashings of stitched leather, carbon fibre and air vents with distinctive patterns reinforce the modern yet sumptuous flavour. And in case you didn’t know what car you’re driving there’s a Lamborghini badge in stylised Lamborghini badge across the dashboard.
Subtle Italian reminders are splashed throughout, from the Anima and Ego selectors to the colours of the Italian flag on the base of the flat-bottomed steering wheel. Among the dramatic styling is a surprisingly sensible and practical car, one with superb front seats to keep you planted during shenanigans.
The rear seat, too, comfortably caters for two adults, although the falling roofline makes head space a challenge for taller folk. It’s also no good for rear vision, which is marginal at best; it’s not helped by the side mirror that doesn’t show a wide enough field of view.
Similarly, the boot is spacious and functional – especially by Lamborghini standards – with up to 616 litres (574L if you choose the four-seat layout with its more cossetting rear pews) but it’s not about to swallow as many bags as a Range Rover.
What are the controls and infotainment like?
Best not to have an Audi parked in your garage because you might notice some similarities with your Urus. But it’s mainly with the instrument cluster and touchscreens, each of which is almost identical to those in the latest Audi A7 or A8. Granted, Lamborghini has injected its own graphics and into the layout of the tacho and speedo, as well as the icons for the infotainment screen.
But there’s no hiding from some of the fonts, menus and displays (such as the fuel gauge), which are pure Audi, as are the roller wheels and buttons on the steering wheel. That’s perhaps no surprise given Lamborghini is owned by Audi (both are part of the Volkswagen Group), although it’s a departure from where Lambo has been.
Other than the unique lever-like gear selector, it’s the aforementioned Anima and Ego selectors that stand out most from a control perspective. Anima allows you to choose the drive mode, each proudly displayed in Italian; there’s Strada (road), Sport, Corsa (track), Sabbia (sand) as well as optional Terra (off-road) and Neve (snow). Ego allows driver adjustment of the steering, suspension and drive systems.
What’s the performance like?
It may be the largest, heaviest car Lamborghini produces, but the Urus has the smallest engine in the range. At 4.0 litres it’s no tiddler, though, and it summons plenty of grunt courtesy of twin turbos.
It’s the same basic engine used in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Bentley Bentayga V8 (Bentley and Porsche are also owned by Volkswagen). But, of course, Lamborghini has done its own tuning to ensure the V8 lives up to Italian expectations. There’s a monstrous 478kW on tap and it’s backed up with 850Nm of torque. On paper it looks quick, claimed to hit 100km/h in 3.6 seconds. In reality it’s just as quick – or even moreso.
At any legal speed in Australia this is an SUV that delivers with pace, the SUV sensibilities interspersed with thoroughly charming Lamborghini flair. What it lacks in the shriek of a V10 or V12 it makes up for with the sort of mid-range response that delivers relentless acceleration. This is an SUV that goes as fast as it looks. That said, it is slower than Lamborghini’s sports cars, which is perhaps no surprise.
Among the craziness are some modern sensibilities, including stop-start to save a few drops of premium unleaded while stationary. As a general rule, though, expect to spend plenty on fuel. Claimed consumption is 12.7 litres per 100km and it’s a snip to use lots more.
What’s it like on the road?
It’s when you tip it at some corners that the true talent of the Urus comes to the fore. Riding on the same basic platform as other Volkswagen Group SUVs (Bentayga and Cayenne the most relevant), the genes are solid.
Air suspension includes active roll stabilisation, which uses a 48V electrical system to very quickly (and effectively) stiffen the anti-roll bars that link the left and right wheels. All of which adds up to a car that maintains its poise better than most others, something mighty impressive given the 2268kg it’s tasked with managing.
It’s the tricky electronics that largely keep the body flat during even brisk cornering that is most surprising. It’s helped by enormous Pirelli P Zero tyres, in the case of our car they were optional 23-inch units. At the rear they’re 325mm across, backed up by 285mm-wide tyres up front.
The steering is also very alert, responding swiftly to accurately obey the driver’s directions. Less impressive is the ride quality, which is good rather than great. Then again, anything this well tied down running on some of the lowest profile rubber on the market will have to give somewhere. Completing the superb dynamic package are some of the best brakes ever fitted to a production car. Enormous 10-piston front calipers grab carbon ceramic discs for immense stopping power.
What’s it like off the road?
The Urus is designed to go off-road, in the same limited way that a Porsche Cayenne is designed to dirty its low profile tyres. But think light-duty off-roading at best, mainly because of the tyres it’s running on.
It’s those tyres that limit how far you’ll go. With such a low profile, they’re no designed for what Australians know as off-roading, instead making more sense on snow or light dirt tracks. Indeed, the owner’s manual warns of not using the bigger diameter wheels and tyres (such as the 23-inch ones on our car) off-road.
That said, the raw numbers suggest a capable off-roader. Raise the air suspension to its highest setting and there’s 248mm of clearance. In that same raised state the approach angle is 27.9 degrees and the departure angle 28.3 degrees.
So, if you really want to get adventurous the car should do much more than anyone would expect of a Lamborghini.
Does it have a spare?
You can option an inflatable skinny space saver spare for the Urus but most are delivered with only a repair kit. Best not to get a puncture at all, then, although there are tyre pressure sensors for early warnings.
Can you tow with it?
The Urus is designed for towing up to 3500kg – but only overseas. Curiously, the owner’s manual warns that at 1000m above sea level (which is only about 150m above the peak at Mount Panorama, Bathurst) you need to reduce the tow capacity by 10 percent. That’s to account for less oxygen in the air, which apparently “decreases engine power, reducing the ability to climb hills”.
Even with half the 478kW/850Nm on offer it would still be one heck of a competent tow vehicle. But… that’s all irrelevant for Australia, because a tow kit isn’t available for the Urus and it is not rated to tow at all.
What safety features does it have?
Like all supercars, Lamborghinis have typically been light-on for safety gear, the thinking being that’s not high on the consideration set of the target market. But the Urus spins that around, with a generous spread of active safety gear courtesy of forward-facing radars and cameras. Expectations in the SUV segment are much higher, especially when the Urus will be used as a family car by many.
