Lamborghini Urus Performante: super-SUV goes more extreme

The new Lamborghini Urus Performante has been revealed as an uprated, lightened version of the Italian firm’s performance SUV and best-selling car. 

Set to be priced from £170,260, it gains more aggressive exterior styling along with updated driving dynamics and decreased levels of drag. It made a public debut at the Monterey Car Week in California. 

Described by Lamborghini's technical boss as a “lightweight, honed athlete”, the Urus Performante benefits from a 47kg weight saving and recalibrated steering over the standard car.

It features a new bonnet and external design features made of carbonfibre, which contribute to an overall weight saving of 47kg. 

Under the bonnet sits the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine as the standard car but with an additional 15bhp at its disposal. Power now stands at 656bhp and torque at 626lb ft, meaning the SUV can travel from 0-62mph in 3.3sec and on to a top speed of 190mph. 

The Urus Performante sits 20mm lower and 25mm longer than the standard Urus, with a track that has been widened by 16mm. It also gains new carbonfibre wheel arches that house 22in lightweight wheels. 

A new carbonfibre bonnet is the most obvious exterior change for the model. The Performante also gains a new air curtain that helps to cool the engine, while a new rear spoiler, inspired by the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, increases rear downforce by 38%. 

At the rear, the Urus gains a new carbonfibre bumper and diffuser and a lightweight titanium sports exhaust supplied by Akrapovič.

Each car is finished with a bi-colour livery, while the door handles, air outlets, spoiler lip and bonnet are all painted black. 

Inside, the Urus Performante features black Alcantara upholstery with hexagonal stitching, while the doors, roof-lining and backrests are finished in an improved Performante specification.

The SUV also gains a new Rally drive mode, which improves its driveability on unstable grounds such as dirt and sand. Lamborghini says it improves the anti-roll and damping systems, too.

The unveiling of the Urus Performante comes shortly after the Urus set a new unofficial production SUV record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, US.

Driven by test driver Simone Faggioli, the Urus raced to the top of the hill climb in 10min 32.064sec - 17sec ahead of the previous record holder, the Bentley Bentayga, which finished in 10min 49.902sec in 2018.  

“The Urus Performante takes the supreme performance and distinctive looks of Lamborghini’s ground-breaking super-SUV to the next level, retaining its luxurious versatility and delivering the most engaging driving experience, not only on road but in every environment, distinguished through an alluring design that denotes new benchmarks for driving dynamism in what is already a remarkable car,” said Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann.