Lamborghini Urus SE: Road, drift and gravel test at Nardo
A plug-in yes, but the mixture of combustion and electric was created first to enhance performance and then to improve efficiency as well.
Close your eyes. First scenario: you are driving in full drift in a secret location with a V8 screaming into the red zone.
Second scenario: you are driving in silence, electrically, through the villages of sunny Puglia. Yes, in short, red pill or blue pill stuff. Or both? Because the rabbit hole in this case has a name: Lamborghini Urus SE.
Plug in yes, but with a clear intention, which made me end the day with a thought: "We misunderstood", as I was thinking in terms of a hyper SUV with fantastic performance, but with a primary focus on consumption or electric range.
How wrong we were. This is first and foremost a Lamborghini, full stop.
I tested it inside and outside Nardó. Here's how it went.
Click to read:
Exterior | Interior | Driving | Prices
Lamborghini Urus SE: the exterior
The new Lamborghini Urus SE features updated lines and a restyled front end, which recalls the styling elements of the Revuelto.
Highlights include the new bonnet, redesigned bumper and front grille, together with Matrix LED technology light clusters featuring a light signature inspired by Lamborghini's iconic Taurus tail.
The 23-inch Galanthus wheels, combined with Pirelli P Zero tyres specially developed for the SE, add a touch of exclusivity to the side profile. At the rear, we find a redesigned tailgate, revamped light clusters and a diffuser that increases downforce by 35 per cent compared to the Urus S, improving performance at high speeds.
Lamborghini Urus SE, the test
Lamborghini Urus SE, the test... also on the Nardò gravel track
Speaking of downforce and air, Lamborghini has significantly revised the airflow management, increasing airflow to the mechanicals and engine by 15 per cent and to the braking system by 30 per cent.
Naturally, like the other Urus, the SE is also super-customisable. Lamborghini speaks of over 100 options for the bodywork (including the new Orange Egon and White Sapphirus colours) and 47 colour combinations and four types of embroidery for the interior.
Lamborghini Urus SE: the interior
The interior of the Urus has been updated and now features a number of new solutions on the dashboard side, inheriting part of the design seen on the Revuelto. In the centre, there is a larger 12.3-inch screen, which features a new version of the HMI software and an even more intuitive interface.
Also included is a telemetry system to monitor one's performance on the track. Other new features include redesigned air vents and Y-shaped anodised aluminium mouldings, elements that further enhance the driving experience.
Customisation remains a hallmark: more than 100 options are available for the bodywork, including new colours such as Egon Orange and Sapphirus White, as well as 47 colour combinations and four types of embroidery for the interior.
Lamborghini Urus SE, revamped interior
In the centre of the console, the 'Drum' selector allows eleven driving modes to be set. In fact, in addition to Strada, Sport, Corsa, Neve, Sabbia and Terra (already present on the non-electrified Urus), Full EV Drive, Hybrid, Performance and Recharge modes make their debut on the SE.
Depending on the mode set, the car's ground clearance also changes, with shock absorber travel varying from 15 mm in Corsa to 75 mm when the lifting system is activated, as well as the parameters that regulate steering, driveability and the sound of the V8.
Much attention is also paid to the calibration of the air suspension, which changes radically depending on the setting selected, also acting differently on the electronic anti-roll bars controlled by the 48 V system.
Lamborghini Urus SE, the ignition detail
Lamborghini Urus SE, dashboard detail
Lamborghini Urus SE: the drive
I have to admit it. This test really had me fooled. OK, it's a plug-in. Yes, a Lamborghini, but it is also a car that has changed the perception of Sant'Agata. It is a car that can be used for the family, in a versatile way. The plug-in, therefore, is perfect for passing through ZTLs, in the city, for everyday commuting.
Right? Right... though... I had no idea how wrong I was.
Because the core of this new version, of this Lamborghini Urus SE is all in the way it has approached the electric, which is to offer not so much 'only' more power and torque, but the way it is delivered, the way it is synchronised, especially when the throttle is in "Maximum Performance".
The Urus SE comes in at 800 PS of power and 951 Nm of torque, but it actually pleases because it combines the full-bodied power delivery right from the low and medium revs, all the way up to 7,000 rpm. Zero lag, zero lag.
It's as easy as a city car if you want to drive around the streets of a suburb, as quiet as an electric car with the zero emissions mode of course, but you can tell that it is a vehicle from Sant'Agata because if you push it, the 4-litre V8 growls anyway, among other things with a revised exhaust.
Lamborghini Urus SE, the test
The weight increase is not felt. There is no major inertia, at least compared to the previous model, despite an extra 200 kilos or so due to the 25.9 kWh battery pack. The reason for this is easy to identify: the semi-active suspension of course. The distribution of drive torque between front and rear, thanks to a Hang-on differential, brings traction up to a maximum of 40 per cent at the front, but more importantly almost 100 per cent at the rear, depending on the situation and of course in an intelligent manner. Compared to some of its German sisters, with a loss of grip you don't directly regain traction as if you were on ‘four’ rails.
It's fun, and you find out so much by drifting in a controlled, manageable, clear manner, yet it is also comfortable in terms of damping, thanks to the requests of customers, because driving it on a daily basis, such an approach was needed. Then there's the throttle and brake response, as well as the steering wheel rim: all enormously well matched.
There are 23-inch rims which offer a certain stiffness. There are those who don't like this, although I didn't feel a huge disadvantage. Yet with the 22-inch wheels this Urus SE is even better as it is much more forgiving and helps even more when you want to drift the rear. Furthermore, there is no longer a Torsen at the rear, but an electronic controlled slip differential.
Lamborghini Urus SE, the test
In short: it's high performance, as every Lamborghini must and wants to be, with principles of greater efficiency instilled. During the test, the combined consumption of the electric part reached a maximum of 2.8 mi/kWh. That's not a lot, but not a little either, given the valuable help from the V8.
I think 25-30 miles could be done for sure under electric-only power, but as I drive around the Nardò circuit, in the Gravel, or drifting, if I'm honest, I couldn't care less about it.
Lamborghini Urus SE: prices
To take home a 'basic' Lamborghini Urus SE you need £210,000. However, one of the great strengths of Sant'Agata Bolognese is also the huge number of extreme customisation details one can choose. This raises the cost to at least £250,000.
More from Lamborghini:
Gallery: Lamborghini Urus SE test
Lamborghini Urus SE
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