It would be a huge understatement to say that the arrival of the Lamborghini Urus in 2018 was controversial. With its SUV form factor and controversial styling, Urus split opinions faster than taking the political heat of Thanksgiving dinner. However, like most things, time passes, attitudes mature, and minds change.
I, for one, didn’t like Urus at first glance. A large SUV from one of the most recognized supercar manufacturers is not understood from the point of view of a casual observer. However, as Lamborghini has found over the past few years, the Urus debut is one of the best financial decisions the carmaker has ever made. After spending some time with the latest 2021 Lamborghini Urus in Los Angeles, I finally understand why.
Does the 2021 Lamborghini Urus look like a super SUV?
The super SUV market has exploded in recent years. For the first time, you are selling a 500+ horsepower SUV. As a result, the paper in this emerging market takes more than just impressive figures. In this section, Urus is in an alley of its own. It shares its architecture with the Audi RS Q8, yet the Urus looks like something else on the road.
Whether you like its design or not, Urus is deliberately controversial, attracting attention in a way that even some supercars can’t. However, how well its design looks depends largely on how a customer orders. Choose a darker color, and you’ll hide most of Urus’s wild design lines across its fender, door, and front hood. Choose a bright color, and you will pronounce these details, add directly to the wild factor of this SUV.
There are hints of other Lamborghinis throughout the design language of Urus. For example, our front hood and rear taillights have Aventador bits that draw inspiration from Huracan. We cannot forget the abundance of hexagonal shapes throughout the outside and inside.
Throughout my time with the 2021 Lamborghini Urus, I found myself warming up with its design because I didn’t think it was beautiful, necessarily, but because of its truly unique take on a large SUV.
Big speed with a big body
Despite weighing about 5,000-pound carbs, the 2021 Lamborghini Urus is extremely fast. Some of these big ones shouldn’t be as quick as Urus. This is all thanks to the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that stays under its hood. The powerplant generates 650 hp and 627 lb-ft, allowing the SUV to hit 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds. In context, the Aston Martin DBS SuperLegera, the Ferrari Portofino and the Mercedes-AMG GT all hit speeds of up to 60 miles per hour over Urus.
All that power is directed to the four wheels via a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. Although the Lamborghini Urus lacks a full-on dual-clutch box, the tuning in the ZF unit is excellent, providing quick upshifts and quick downshifts while moving at high speeds. In addition, the Urus relies on an adaptive air suspension system with all-wheel-steering, which makes this large machine manageable around crowded cities.
The driver can control the behavior of the urus by toggling any one of its six available driving modes. These significantly affect the SUV’s on-road comfort and driving performance. Switch it to Corsa, the most aggressive mode, and go down to eliminate the whole thing body roll and provide extra stability.
One of my first drives in Urus was a canyon race, where I first encountered its rugged acceleration. However, the largest carbon-ceramic brake fitted to a production car, Urus immediately proved that it has the right components for a lot of performance.
Despite its enormous power, Urus doesn’t feel too excited to drive once you start pushing it around some curves. Thanks to its significant carb weight, the front end tends to underestimate and the steering does not give an accurate response to what is happening in front. This is probably a flaw in Urus that prioritizes on-road comfort over direct performance, a fair tradeoff.
Tech and leather overload
If you like digital screens, you will prefer 2021 Lamborghini Urus. Because the dashboard has three main screens. A 10.1-inch unit has a basic infotainment system, where a small 8.6-inch screen hosts all your HVAC controls. In front of the driver, you will find a huge digital instrument cluster that is highly configurable and varies dramatically depending on your driving mode.
While it’s clear to see the Audi roots in this Lamborghini infotainment system, it works well. Its layout is easy to navigate, and changing in the air is a breeze. Additionally, you get compatibility with smartphones like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As standard, you’ll find a Bang & Olufsen 1,700-watt sound system with 21 speakers that is amazingly powerful and impressive.
As you might expect from a six-figure SUV, the finishing of the 2021 Lamborghini Urus is remarkably well done. Almost every surface is covered with leather with contrast stitching, enhancing the feel and aesthetics of the cabin. Despite having Audi roots, the urus are hand-sewn and assembled in its own factory. As a result, it differs greatly from low-cost SUVs in that it shares many of its components.
Is the Lamborghini Urus worth more than 220,000?
If you want a 2021 Lamborghini Urus on your driveway, you have to face two major hurdles. The first is its price because Urus indicates a base sum just under $ 220,000. However, add some optional extras, and that number could quickly exceed $ 250,000. Whether or not this SUV is worth that much depends on its potential buyer. Lamborghini Urus does not sell price and space Urus on paper. Instead, there is something really unique.
The second hurdle is the waiting time. Urus has been such a huge hit for Lamborghini that they literally can’t make them fast enough. As a result, adding a urus to any collection requires a healthy dose of patience. Of course, this also works for the benefit of Urus buyers as this huge SUV has retained tremendous value over the years, even after the dealer left the floor and sold above MSRP.
No matter what attracts you to Urus, this super SUV makes a case for itself in a variety of ways. For me, I’m glad to see that Urus still has that classic Lamborghini attraction, except now you can take your family on a ride.
