News / 20 August 2022 / Albert du Toit

New Lamborghini Urus Performante – A super SUV with rally mode

The Lamborghini Urus Performante has been unveiled with a new aerodynamic design, more power, and a rally mode.

Even before the covers were officially taken off, this super SUV set a new record for the production SUV category on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, crossing the finish line at 4,302 meters in 10:32.064, beating the previous record of 10:49.902.

Engineered for driving

The Urus Performante makes use of the same 4.0-litre, V8, bi-turbo powerplant as its siblings with a 12kW power bump to 490kW, while torque remains a mega 850Nm.

This is delivered to the surface through an eight-speed gearbox and four-wheel-drive system with a front, central, and active torque vectoring rear differential.

Lamborghini also recalibrated the front-wheel steering to make inputs more precise and to gain more feedback, while the rear-wheel steering now also operates faster which increases agility both on and off-road.

Also getting a titanium Akrapovic sports exhaust and lightweight 22-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tyres, the high-performance Urus performs even more mindblowing feats than before:

0-100km/h – 3.3 seconds
0-200km/h – 11.5 seconds
Top speed – 306km/h
100-0km/h – 32.9 metres

This is compared to the standard model’s 3.6 seconds, 12.8 seconds, 305km/h, and 33.7 metres.

Alongside the Strada, Sport, and Corsa drive modes, the Performante now also gets a Rally selection specifically to enhance the “fun-to-drive sportiness” on dirt tracks.

It’s more oversteer friendly than the other drive settings with the anti-roll and damping systems optimised for steel springs on rough terrains, “raising the bar for a new level of Super SUV performance,” said the marque.

Designed for performance

The new Urus Performante is longer, lower, wider, and lighter than the standard version, with a sharper and more aerodynamic design.

It’s the vehicle “with the highest number of carbon fibre parts in its segment,” said Lamborghini, with deep cuts in the hood lines continuing down to the streamlined new bumper, the entire bonnet, wheel arches, rear bumper and diffuser, spoiler, and air outlets being forged from this lightweight material, either in body colour or as partially visible carbon.

The new black front air intakes assist in making this model look more aggressive while also providing more efficient cooling for the engine, a redesigned air curtain sends air over the front wheels rather than the bonnet contributing to aerodynamic efficiency and cooling, and a revised rear spoiler increases downforce by 38%.

With new steel springs the Performante sits 38mm lower than the standard Urus, too, and it boasts a 16mm-wider wheel track. The overall length has also increased by 25mm thanks to the more athletic design.

These lightweight materials and new look give the Performante a 47kg-lighter kerb weight than the Urus at 2,150kg, distributed 58% on the front and 42% on the rear.

Inside, the cockpit features black Alcantara with new hexagonal seat stitching, what’s called the “Performante trim”. Also standard are black anodized aliminium finishes, a black Alcantara steering wheel, and new model-exclusive graphics on the infotainment system and instrument cluster.

Additional optional extras can also be had such as the Dark Package as well as Ad Personam customisation including interior matte carbon fibre details, red door handles, and a customized kickplate.

First customer deliveries of the Lamborghini Urus Performante will take place before the end of 2022. South African pricing has not yet been announced.