Lamborghini Urus Offers 'A Whole New Level of Business'

The Urus super SUV has been praised for its significant growth in Lamborghini sales.

It may be the most controversial model in the Lamborghini stable, but the Urus SUV has been praised for boosting the Italian brand's sales significantly.

What Lamborghini describes as a "super SUV", the 2197kg Urus has a top speed of 305km/h and can hit 100km/h in 3.6 seconds. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine delivers 478kW and 850Nm, and Raging Bull is the first to use turbocharging on one of its engines.

Despite the staggering performance figures, Lamborghini's decision to focus on an SUV was initially met with a howl of protest from brand fans around the world, with many wondering if the high rider deserved a place in the supercar lineup.

But Lamborghini was one of the few bright spots to emerge at Audi AG's annual press conference, where German executives praised the Urus for bringing "an entirely new level of business" to the legendary marque.

“The Lamborghini Urus has had a positive impact on earnings,” says Audi CFO Alexander Seitz.

“Our subsidiary… has reached a whole new level of business with the launch of the Urus Super SUV: 51% more deliveries and 41% more revenue than last year.

"More than two-thirds of Urus buyers are new Lamborghini customers."

The arrival of the boxy Urus coincides with a record year for Lamborghini, with 5,750 units sold worldwide, up 51% from 2017.

And while all models have been on the rise, the arrival of the new Urus has brought the biggest lift, with 1761 cars sold, despite only arriving in July 2018.

Had these numbers been maintained for a full 12 months, it would have made the Urus the brand's best-selling vehicle by some margin. For example, in 1173, 2012 Aventadors were sold, while Huracans sold 2,780 cars.

“(Last year) was a super year for Lamborghini. The Urus had a huge impact,” says Seitz.