Industry sources say that the Lamborghini Urus (production version) is expected to launch at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2017. The Urus concept was first showcased to the world at the Beijing Auto Show. Before the official unveil, Lamborghini will preview the Urus to customers at private showings due to take place at their Sant’Agata plant. The company is also expanding its plant capacity in order to cope with increased demand. It is expecting sales of around 3,500 SUVs annually.
The Urus is Lamborghini’s first SUV since the LM002 (1986-1993). The name ‘Urus’ is derived from the ancestor of modern domestic cattle, also known as the aurochs.
The brand’s R&D chief, Maurizio Reggiani, said, “The design [of the Urus] is pure Lamborghini. It has evolved considerably since the [2015] concept and the finished car is much better inside and out.”
The Urus range will feature the first plug-in hybrid in the Lamborghini line-up. The plug-in hybrid Urus will be offered alongside a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 model. The Urus is planned to be based on an evolution of Audi’s MLB platform which underpins the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg and Bentley Bentayga.
Competition for the Urus is expected to come from the Audi Q8, Bentley Bentayga, Aston Martin DBX, BMW X7, Maserati Levante, Mercedes-Maybach SUV, Range Rover SVAutobiography and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.