The Lamborghini Urus lands in SA

The styling of this ‘stunner of an SUV’ is something else. It has a futuristic design with sleek lines and that ‘ready to pounce’ look. I wondered if we were going to be lucky enough to take this mean sounding machine, with a very distinctive roar, out for a test drive. But being the only Urus in the country, we were told that test drives will be arranged for a later date.

The name ‘Urus’ intrigued me, so I asked Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Lamborghini to explain. “The name is derived from the ancestor to modern cattle, Aurochs,” said Domenicali.

He added that the name and its meaning lends itself to the Lamborghini brand itself. The Spanish fighting bull, as bred for the past 500 years, is still very close to the Urus in its appearance.

Distribution in South Africa

Domenicali was very optimistic following the announcement that local distribution would now be handled by LSM Distributors, the same company responsible for the Porsche and Bentley brands locally.

He mentioned, that given Porsche CEO, Toby Venter's team's involvement, the expectation was that annual volumes, currently at 30 units, should double immediately. Domenicali has every reason to be hopeful, as Lamborghini achieved record sales volumes worldwide and doubled the size of its facility in Italy last year.

However, in South Africa, the quality of the brand's presence has been inconsistent in the past. With LSM Distributors now on board, the brand is in much safer hands. Lamborghini South Africa is currently represented by two dealerships; one in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town, while a third dealership is planned for Durban.

While I did not get to drive the SUV, I did get a feel of what the drive would be like. The ‘cockpit’ amplifies the exterior design, which again can only be described as futuristic. All controls are within easy reach of the driver. The Urus has every ‘bell and whistle’ imaginable, and you would not expect anything less from the world-wide sought-after brand of the rich and famous.

What’s under the bonnet?

The Lamborghini Urus is entering a booming luxury SUV segment and is powered by a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 engine offering 478 kW from 6,000rpm and 845Nm of torque from 2,250rpm.

Apart from fulfilling its duties as an SUV, the Urus will also deliver eye-watering performance, if the specifications sheet is anything to go by. Could it be the fastest SUV on the planet?

Weighing in at 2,154kg, acceleration is blistering by SUV standards with Lamborghini claiming 3.6 seconds in the sprint to 100kp,h while forging ahead to 200kph in 12.8 seconds and finally maxing out with a top speed of 305kph. The Urus makes use of an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission with a torque converter, a first for the brand, sending power to all four wheels.

The price of the Lamborghini Urus, set at R3,495,000 includes a 3 Year/100,000 km drive plan.