Lamborghini Urus Performante super SUV revealed

Remember the camouflaged Lamborghini Urus that set the record time for SUVs at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb the other week? It turns out the newly revealed Performante model was the culprit.

If the record wasn’t enough to sway you that this isn’t just a spruced up version of the standard model, Lamborghini says the new Urus Performante is lower, wider, lighter and has received an increase in power. Better yet, it even has a Rally mode for dirt tracks.

To accentuate its performance nature, the Performante has taken the original Urus’ design and added a raft of vents and cutaways, new bumpers, a rear spoiler and a newly-styled bonnet.

However, we should really say that the aesthetic “additions” have taken away from the Urus as the SUV has shaved 47kg off its overall weight courtesy of the carbon fibre bumpers, bonnet, roof, diffuser, front splitter, wheel arches and roof spoiler.

The Performante has also been given more power with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 now producing 490kW and 850Nm which is connected to a four-wheel drive system and limited slip differential. That’s enough shove to take the SUV to 100km/h from a stand still in 3.3 seconds while achieving a top speed of 306km/h.

Ride height has been dropped by 20mm as a result of the standard air suspension being swapped for steel springs while the track has widened by 16mm.

Behind the wheel, the driver can expect enhanced agility and feedback from the Performante thanks to recalibrated front steering and faster rear-wheel steering complemented by torque vectoring in both on and off-road modes.

Speaking of modes, the Performante’s Rally mode allows drivers to tackle dirt tracks with ease as anti-roll and damping is optimised for rough surfaces. If only Pikes Peak was still a dirt road.

The interior is no rally car though as it features Alcantara and leather trim with a host of colour options available as well.

First customer deliveries are expected by the end of 2022.