Lamborghini Urus SE with ‘2 hearts’ displayed in KL

Although committing to reducing emissions in coming years, the auto industry is now slowing down on its rush towards switching to fully electric vehicles. Many consumers aren’t really ready to make the change due to various issues like the high cost of EVs and the still-limited charging station infrastructure.

In spite of many governments providing incentives to switch to EVs, the numbers are not big enough to justify the millions that automakers have been allocating to rush development of such vehicles. As such, they are now giving attention to the ‘compromise’ which is hybrid electric powertrains. Less costly and with less dependence on charging stations, hybrid electric vehicles seem more acceptable to car-buyers, as sales numbers indicate.

Faithful to the combustion engine
For the supercar companies, electrification is inevitable but they will only go fully electric when laws force them to and in the meantime, they will find ways to stay with the combustion engine. For Lamborghini, this has led to having a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain which it has put into the Urus.

Unveiled at Auto China 2024, the Urus SE with ‘two hearts’ – internal combustion engine  and electric motor – can provide the sort of performance worthy of the Lamborghini badge and yet bring emissions down by 80%. The new variant of its bestselling model (over 60% of the brand’s sales in 2023) is now being shown to potential customers in various cities around the world.

“The Lamborghini Urus was an important catalyst for the brand when it first joined our product portfolio back in 2017. Today, the Super SUV has firmly established itself as our bestseller, not just in the Asia Pacific region, but across all markets worldwide. The new Urus SE sets the stage for an era of Super SUV evolution in the electrification phase, and it is also a significant milestone for the brand. I believe that this car is an interpretation of the brand going beyond, and how we revolutionised the automotive world with our iconic Super SUV, ” said Francesco Scardaoni, Region Director of Automobili Lamborghini Asia Pacific, when he introduced the model in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Revised design
The design of the Urus SE highlights the dynamics of the form, accentuating the vehicle’s sportiness and muscularity. At the front is a new bonnet with a floating design, where the absence of the cut-off line gives a sense of continuity and amplifies the athletic style of the Super SUV. This mimics certain new styling concepts introduced by the Revuelto.

Other new elements include the headlight clusters that feature matrix LED technology, introducing a brand-new light signature inspired by the tail of the Lamborghini brand’s bull, along with a redesigned bumper and front grill.

New rear end
At the rear, the cargo compartment hatch has been completely redesigned, introducing a Gallardo-inspired continuity that harmonizes the lines by connecting the taillight clusters with ‘Y’ lights and the new rear diffuser, which gives the vehicle even sportier proportions. Together with the new spoiler, the diffuser increases rear downforce by 35% at high speeds (compared to the Urus S), further enhancing the vehicle’s stability.

Aerodynamic efficiency is also improved by new underbody air vents and revamped air ducts, which channel more airflow (15% more than the original Urus) to cool the mechanical and engine components. The new design of the front section, combined with an optimization of the aerodynamic underside, has also improved the management of airflows dedicated to the braking system, with a 30% improvement in air cooling over the previous system.

Lower emissions yet better performance
With its PHEV system, the Urus SE is said to offer improved vehicle performance and dynamics on any surface and in any condition. More torque and power at any rpm can be generated and there are also technical features like an electric torque vectoring system between the two axles, and the electronic rear differential.

The same twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8 engine has been re-engineered to work in optimal synergy with the electric powertrain. It develops 789 bhp/800 Nm of total output with the rear-mounted electric motor contributing 192 ps/483 Nm.

The high output improves the weight-to-power ratio to 3.13 kgs/ps (compared to 3.3 in the Urus S). This enables the Urus SE to do the 0 to 100 km/h run in a claimed 3.4 seconds, a tenth of a second quicker than the Urus S. Speeding on, it will reach 200 km/h just over a second quicker. Top speed is claimed to be 312 km/h, 7 km/h more than the Urus S. These figures make the Urus SE the fastest production car in the segment, setting a new benchmark in the Super SUV category.

An important focus during powertrain development was the calibration strategy between the engine and motor to ensure an optimal power curve in every driving mode and on every surface. The motor is located inside the 8-speed automatic transmission can act as a boost for the engine as well as a traction element, making the Urus SE a fully electric vehicle with all-wheel drive.

It is capable of traveling more than 60 kms in pure EV mode (and dependent on the energy level in the 25.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack). When running in EV mode, the maximum speed is limited to around 130 km/h.

Debuting on the Urus SE is the new centrally-located longitudinal electric torque vectoring system with an electro-hydraulic multi-plate clutch, which distributes driving torque variably and continuously between the front and rear axles. The transfer case works in synergy with the new electronic limited-slip differential installed on the rear axle, giving the vehicle ‘on demand’  oversteering to convey the feel of a pure-bred super sportscar.

Inside the Urus SE
The cabin has been updated to highlight Lamborghini’s signature ‘feel like a pilot’ design DNA, featuring new solutions throughout the front section of the dashboard and accentuating the lightweight feeling introduced earlier on the Revuelto.

A larger 12.3-inch screen positioned in the centre of the dashboard features a new version of the Human Machine Interface that is even more intuitive to use with updated graphics, consistent with that of the Revuelto.

The Lamborghini Centro Stile designers also directed their design focus on the air vents; the anodized aluminium trim elements with the unmistakable Y shape, and the new panel, seat, and dashboard coverings. The mechanical pushbutton panel gives a more tactile feel.

The driver can make use of the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and  12.3-inch touchscreen display for a dedicated telemetry system and there are new displays related to the driving assistance system that allow for better perception of the surrounding environment.

Lamborghini Kuala Lumpur is accepting orders for the Urus SE which is priced from RM1,028,000 (excluding taxes and insurance). First deliveries will start from the end of this year or in early 2025.

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