Lamborghini Urus SE | Test Drive

3 August 2026 Redazione News, Tested

There is an irrational hatred toward SUVs, recently surpassed by the one directed at electric cars. Lamborghini, a brand long synonymous with uncompromising performance and an old-school philosophy that embraces automotive madness in its purest form, has created a supercar that doesn’t need perfectly smooth roads to deliver an extraordinary driving experience. Now, it has refined the formula, making it even more capable. With 800 horsepower, 950 Nm of torque, and a 0–100 kph comparable to the Huracán, figures are certainly impressive. But they only tell part of the story.

Words Alessandro Marrone / Photos Alessio Becker

Rubber floor mats and door lights. Those are the words echoing through my head in an almost grotesque way. Recently introduced as optional extras, they will soon be joined by the far more substantial Akrapovič exhaust system. Truth be told, as much as I appreciate the need to keep the Urus’ cabin floor in pristine condition, what really captures my attention is something else: the latest evolution of one of the world’s highest-performing SUVs has evolved in all the right ways. The transformation is immediately tangible in its redesigned exterior, but even more so in its new plug-in hybrid powertrain, capable of reaching performance figures best summed up by Gene Wilder’s immortal line in Young Frankenstein: “It could work.”

The comparison with Frankenstein’s monster has never felt more appropriate. It perfectly captures the absurdity of a two-and-a-half-ton SUV capable of crossing from one country to another at speeds that seem almost impossible to comprehend. All of it accompanied by a soundtrack that — thankfully, I might add — still allows a Lamborghini to announce its arrival long before it comes into view. So forgive me if this isn’t the right moment to spend time playing with the updated infotainment system. Seeing an enraged bull on that legendary shield means only one thing to me or rather, two: fire and fury.

It all began more than half a century ago, when a man named Ferruccio voiced his complaints to the founder of the sports cars he admired most. The reply was simple: build something better or stop complaining. The rest is history, and everyone knows how that story evolved. Since 1963, that heated exchange has given birth to some of the most legendary machines ever to grace the automotive world. Then, in 2018, Lamborghini did what 99.9% of people believed would never happen: it launched the Urus. Although, considering the existence of the LM002, the company’s first SUV produced between 1986 and 1993, it wasn’t exactly a bolt from the blue. Fast forward to today, and the latest evolution of Sant’Agata Bolognese’s high-riding supercar has undergone a profound transformation (introduced in 2024), embracing the first step of an electrification strategy that, at the very moment I write these words, appears to have been postponed yet again.

Thankfully, but not because of some blind ideological stance. There are electric cars perfectly capable of meeting the needs of a huge portion of drivers and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, just to name one, has proven that a battery-powered car can come remarkably close to being the perfect performance machine. But that’s another story. Because whenever the name Lamborghini comes before any model designation, there is one combination we still cannot live without: emotion and performance. Even when you’re carrying around 2,500 kilograms and can’t casually rest your arm out of the window to touch the tarmac.

Everything becomes relative the moment I truly understand what the Urus SE is capable of. Yes, it’s a PHEV, as already mentioned. The familiar 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 is now paired with a 22-kWh battery pack that can be recharged either from an external source or through regenerative braking. And let’s address the obvious straight away: the SE features an intelligent battery management system. Besides offering around 72 kilometers of fully electric driving (EV mode), it allows you to select Recharge, prioritising battery replenishment via the internal combustion engine. In Hybrid, the system automatically optimises efficiency, while Performance ensures the electric boost is always available whenever maximum thrust is required. The electric motor contributes 192 horsepower, bringing the combined output to an impressive 800 horsepower: 134 more than both the Urus S and the Performante.

Some might call it unnecessary, especially considering that the hybrid system adds roughly 230 kilograms over its purely combustion-powered counterpart. But there are several important caveats and reducing the discussion to a sterile list of differences between the two versions would do the SE a disservice. The car itself is unapologetically extravagant. The closer I get, the more I realise just how colossal it really is. It possesses a commanding presence that I’ve rarely experienced in any other vehicle, perhaps thanks to its sharply sculpted surfaces culminating at both ends. The redesigned front fascia features larger air intakes and a new lighting signature inspired by the shape of a charging bull’s tail. At the rear, a pronounced protrusion mirrors the front-end design, creating a series of crisp, geometric lines that even reshape the Lamborghini script itself. The result is an appearance that remains unmistakably Urus, yet feels dramatically fresher than before.

Once I’ve settled into the driving position, I lift the iconic red flip cover that has become one of Lamborghini’s unmistakable trademarks over the years. I press the start button and nothing happens. Well, yes… and no. The Urus SE actually comes to life in full-electric mode, which explains why the exhausts seemed so quiet. Not today. I twist the ANIMA selector to Sport and while the battery management system automatically switches to Performance, I’m greeted by the unmistakable bark of the twin pairs of exhaust pipes behind me. The soundtrack is exactly as I remembered it, precisely what you expect when gripping that magnificent Alcantara-and-carbon-fiber steering wheel. I doubt many owners will spend their days exploring gravel tracks, but should they choose to, the Terra, Sand and Snow driving modes are there to make the experience effortless. As for me, I have a far more specific plan in mind, one that will reveal whether the SE truly deserves a seat at the family table.

The sky above is dark, threatening rain from time to time. In these conditions, the last thing I’d want is to be behind the wheel of a Revuelto. Perhaps that’s exactly why Lamborghini invested so much effort into developing the Urus. The idea was to create a car with unquestionable performance that could be enjoyed on virtually any day, in virtually any environment. The kilometers disappear quickly as I remain comfortably embraced by the leather seats, venturing into roads where traffic simply doesn’t exist. My pace increases as the vegetation gradually thins out, and once I climb beyond 1,400 meters above sea level, I realise I’m the only person who thought it was a good idea to throw themselves into the lonely silence of a mountain pass that has yet to fully awaken from its winter slumber.

Some stretches of road are still wet, others are scarred by potholes that, in any traditional Lamborghini, would have forced me to turn back. Not this time. Instead, I simply drive over them — or rather, launch across them — without even lifting off the throttle. The multilink air suspension doesn’t merely absorb the harshest imperfections; it also keeps the body remarkably composed and controlled during the most aggressive weight transfers. The winter tyres channel away streams of water so effectively that I barely notice the work they’re doing, while offering levels of roll control that completely defy what even the most elementary laws of physics would suggest.

On tighter roads, one of the Urus’ most valuable assets comes into play: rear-wheel steering. It’s neither exclusive nor new to the model, but those ±3 degrees relative to the neutral position make an astonishing difference, especially when combined with the enormous contact patch provided by the 325/35 R22 rear tyres. It takes a little time to adapt; otherwise you’ll find yourself clipping apexes too early or turning in more aggressively than intended. But once you’ve learned how it behaves, the Urus enters and exits corners as though an enormous invisible elastic band were pulling it through each bend.

The Urus SE remains glued to the road, seemingly eliminating body roll altogether. Mid-corner, I squeeze the throttle and the car catapults itself forward with an acceleration that borders on the absurd. Yet the headline figure isn’t the 800 horsepower. The truly remarkable number is the 950 Nm of torque. Thanks to the electric motor, maximum torque is already available from just 2,250 rpm, while its relentless delivery transforms every straight into something far too short to fully exploit. The carbon-ceramic brakes are, unsurprisingly, colossal: 440 mm discs, 40 mm thick at the front with ten-piston calipers, and 410 mm by 32 mm at the rear clamped by six-piston calipers. Simply imagine your braking point, stamp on the pedal and you’ll probably stop even sooner than expected. Around town, as is often the case with carbon ceramics, they’re less forgiving than conventional brakes, but I’m confident you’ll learn to live with them.

Despite the still rather chilly temperatures, the tyres soon reach their ideal operating window, and before long I feel confident enough to push harder over every crest and compression along this perfectly deserted road. The V8 doesn’t simply make noise: it roars. The relentless thrust pins me firmly to the seat while the eight-speed automatic fires through one gear after another with ruthless efficiency. In the heat of the moment, however, I often found it easier to let the gearbox manage itself. Not because I didn’t want control, but because the beautifully machined anodised aluminium shift paddles, while wonderful to touch, are simply too small. Since they rotate together with the steering wheel, locating them becomes surprisingly difficult when the digital rev counter is brushing the red line.

The noise is utterly intoxicating. Every lift of the throttle is accompanied by explosive crackles from the exhaust, while the violence with which the Urus attacks high-speed corners is matched only by its astonishing agility through tight hairpins. I never imagined something of this size could feel so manoeuvrable. Granted, it probably wouldn’t be your first choice for attacking the Stelvio Pass — although, to be fair, what SUV would? — but it would almost certainly be among the most effective. Turbo lag is already virtually non-existent thanks to the twin turbochargers, yet the electric motor erases what little remains. At that point we’re talking about differences measured in thousandths of a second, when the average human being is already fully occupied trying to tame this raging bull.

Everything that makes the Urus SE exceptional dynamically is reinforced by an interior carefully designed to elevate the experience for both driver and passengers, leaving no doubt that this is no ordinary SUV. Premium materials are everywhere, accompanied by details that constantly remind you you’re sitting inside a Lamborghini worth well over a quarter of a million euros. Some of the switchgear — such as the buttons on the steering wheel and door panels — as well as the dual-screen layout separating the infotainment system from the climate controls, will feel familiar to anyone who has spent time inside Audi’s flagship models. That’s hardly a criticism, though, as the interface is both comprehensive and intuitive. The fully digital instrument cluster remains entirely configurable to suit individual preferences, while the right-hand spoke of the steering wheel houses a button no Q8 will ever wear with the same pride: Corsa, instantly activating the car’s most extreme driving mode.

Ultimately, the Urus SE cannot simply be reduced to outrageous specific output and the ability to propel its elephantine mass with acceleration figures matching those of the Huracán EVO RWD — reaching 100 kph from a standstill in just 3.4 seconds. It’s a question of physics. It surges to 200 kph in only 11.2 seconds, and then it simply keeps pulling. Hard. It’s one of those violent accelerations the human body never truly adapts to because it feels unnatural, almost hyperbolic. A relentless push that drains the fuel tank faster than you’d expect while simultaneously shattering the prejudice that this might be nothing more than an exercise in ostentation.

The Urus SE represents an engineering masterpiece, much like its closest rivals, the Ferrari Purosangue and the Aston Martin DBX707. Each of these three machines could easily be labelled excessive, yet the reality is that they have evolved to such an extraordinary level that they arguably make more sense than the traditional sports cars that have always captured our hearts. In an ideal world, you’d own one from every brand — or, better still, pair each manufacturer’s two-seat supercar with its SUV counterpart. In the real world, however, these super SUVs are capable of doing virtually everything related to performance, while delivering it in the most comfortable and effective way imaginable. Naturally, the price reflects the package on offer, starting at €270,000 — around €23,000 more than the Urus S and just below the Performante. As always, spending time with the configurator and Lamborghini’s Ad Personam programme quickly inflates the final figure. The example tested here reached €310,399.

The edges of the road begin to blur as the mechanical symphony flooding the cabin grows even louder through the open windows, allowing every additional decibel to accompany speeds that feel almost indecent. Especially on a road like today’s. Especially while commanding 2,500 kilograms of machinery. I bury the throttle. The pointed nose lifts ever so slightly while, in my mind, I can almost picture the body hunkering down onto the tarmac from an outside perspective. The V8 bares its teeth in a relentless charge toward the next corner. I keep my right foot planted, instinctively narrowing my eyes, convinced I’ve finally asked too much of it. Yet I emerge from the bend as though travelling along an invisible rail. Oh and yes, there are rubber floor mats and illuminated door sills, should that matter to you. A curious detail that almost feels like Lamborghini’s own joke: the engineering is so astonishingly complete that dwelling on figures and technical specifications somehow seems beside the point.