Keyboard warriors have the tendency to oversimplify things and refer to the Lamborghini Urus as nothing more than a Volkswagen Touareg with a raging bull badge because the two share the same MLB Evo platform. However, a new video shot at Hockenheim is further proof that the folks from Sant'Agata Bolognese have built a truly exciting performance vehicle that happens to have a family-friendly SUV format.
Sport Auto took the newly released Performante version around the famous track and needed 1 minute and 55.8 seconds to complete a lap of the Grand Prix layout. It was only a tenth of a second slower than a Porsche 911 Carrera T but 1.1 seconds quicker than a 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, with both previously tested by the same German magazine. At 2,150 kilograms (4,739 pounds) in European specification, it's safe to say the Urus Perfomante was one of the heaviest vehicles to perform a hot lap at the challenging circuit.
2023 Lamborghini Urus Performante: First Drive
While its lap time is impressive, the mechanically related Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT was even faster by crossing the finish line 0.7 seconds sooner. It's currently the fastest SUV tested by Sport Auto at Hockenheim where the McLaren Senna continues to reign supreme by lapping the track in 1 minute and 49 seconds. The podium is completed by the AMG GT Black Series (1:43.3) and the Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR (1:43.5).
With the facelift introduced in August 2022, Lamborghini uprated the Urus to 666 hp for the Performante version positioned above the Urus S. It also shaved off 47 kilograms (104 pounds) to engineer a high-performance SUV that hits 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.3 seconds while going from 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) takes 11.5 seconds. Flat out, the range-topping Urus will do 190 mph (306 km/h).
A third version of the Urus will land in 2024 when Lamborghini has promised to introduce a plug-in hybrid derivative. It could be the most potent of the bunch since it'll combine a V8 with an electric motor to push out at least the 671 hp offered by the bonkers Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid. However, it's unlikely to be faster around a track than the Performante seeing as how it'll put on some weight.
