Lamborghini prepares new Urus hybrid with electrified V8
The Lamborghini Urus hybrid is tipped to break cover this year as the most powerful iteration yet
Electrification is spreading throughout the car industry, and all the way to Sant’Agata. Lamborghini is responding to demand for hybrid power with a rollout of new models, meaning that by 2024, hybrid engines will feature across the entire range: including the Urus SUV.
As these spy shots indicate, development is well underway for the Urus hybrid as it undergoes cold weather testing in Sweden. A high voltage sticker beneath the B-pillar all but confirms this test mule as the plug-in version, which will share powertrain tech with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid when it’s unveiled later this year.
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Unsurprisingly, the Urus hybrid is visually very familiar, and there don’t appear to be many drastic design changes beneath the camouflage. Still, the hybrid will distinguish itself from the Urus S and track-bred Performante with y-shaped horizontal grille slats and slimmer headlights, which can be seen peering through the disguise.
The newcomer will meet the forthcoming Aston Martin DBX PHEV in a clash of driver-focused hybrid SUVs, each launching with 4-litre twin-turbocharged V8s at a similar time. But while Aston will lean on its Mercedes ties for the DBX’s powertrain, Lamborghini will adopt hybrid technology from Porsche.
In fact, the Urus hybrid will surpass the 657bhp S and Performante (both of which share the same engine) as the most potent variant yet. Given that the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid uses an electrified version of the Lambo’s V8 to the tune of 671bhp, expect the Urus hybrid to match this figure at the very least.
In the Porsche, the petrol engine generates 542bhp, which is augmented by a 134bhp electric motor sandwiched between itself and the gearbox (the total output is less than the theoretical combined figure since the V8 and electric motor peak at different points in the rev range).
The Cayenne can achieve up to 25 miles of pure electric running thanks to a 17.9kWh battery packaged behind the rear axle, so expect the Urus to be in a similar ballpark. Compared to the pure ICE Cayenne Turbo, the E-Hybrid gains an extra 315kg due to its electric hardware, so we could be staring down the barrel of a 2.5-tonne Lamborghini.
TrustpilotThe question remains how far Lamborghini is willing to push the Urus hybrid beyond the existing models in terms of pure grunt. In theory, power could swell to almost 800bhp by combining the hybrid elements with the current 657bhp V8, offsetting the extra weight of the battery pack and motor; and then some.
Tipped to release towards the end of this year, the Urus hybrid will hit the road in time for Lamborghini’s range-wide electrification plans.
