Mental Lamborghini Urus Performante Driven

The Urus has been a runaway success for Lamborghini, especially in India as it is more suited to our kind of roads. Having opened a new set of audiences, the Sant’Agata Bolognese squad took the opportunity of a model year update to up the ante. So, instead of one, now it has two versions on sale – a “standard” Urus S and a Urus Performante. While both get a similar power upgrade (16bhp more than the previous one), Performante can enthuse an extra dose of adrenaline.

This new Urus now belts out 657 bhp and 850 Nm from its twin-turbocharged V8. This is mated to an eight-speed transmission with permanent all-wheel-drive. In the Performante, the differential has been tweaked to have a slightly more rear bias for added driving engagement. Lighter carbon-fibre body panels and other weight-loss measures has helped lob off roughly 50kgs. It also comes with grippier tyre. Together these have made it capable to go faster, be more engaging and more enticing.

Exterior

The Lamborghini Urus Performante comes with a twin-turbocharged V8 that belts out 657 bhp and 850 Nm.

While it might be hard to tell, a Urus Performante is nearly 25 mm longer thanks to the aero updates of a new rear tailgate wing and front bumper. Visually, both front and rear have been modified. The bumper is even more prominent now. There are deep cuts in the hood lines down to the new front bumper. The bonnet is one of the panels made from carbon fiber. While hidden in body colour, Lamborghini keeps the exotic material neatly visible here if you are ready to pay more. Same for the roof. But this is not a tactic unique to Urus as  Huracán Performante and Super Trofeo owners will know.

A new fixed rear spoiler on top of the tail gate, is said to have increased rear downforce by 38%. 

The front bumper and splitter are also carbon fibre: new black front air-intakes deliver better engine cooling. A new air curtain draws airflow over the front wheels, within an aerodynamic design that decreases drag. The new bonnet’s air outlet also improves aero efficiency, and helps with engine cooling. A new fixed rear spoiler on top of the tail gate, is said to have increased rear downforce by 38%. With carbon fibre fins, this spoiler design is inspired by the one in an Aventador SVJ.

With carbon fibre fins, this spoiler design is inspired by the one in an Aventador SVJ.

The lower rear bumper and diffuser get the final carbon fiber elements with a lightweight titanium Akrapovič sports exhaust as standard. The livery is bi-color: so you get black painted door handles, carbon fibre air outlets over the bonnet and spoiler lip.

Dynamics

The Performante sits nearly 20 mm lower than the Urus S, which gets air suspension, with stiffer steel springs. 

Prior to its global launch in the middle of 2022, the new Urus set a Pikes Peak record for the fastest production SUV to complete the historic American hill climb route at 4,302 meters (14,115 ft) in 10m32.064s. Significantly faster than the previous record of 10m49.902s set in 2018 by another VW Group car – a Bentley Bentayga. So, obviously, this new SUV means serious business.

While a Urus S comes with air suspension, the Performante sits nearly 20mm lower with stiffer steel springs. Its wheel track is broader by 16 millimetres and gets special Pirelli P Zero R Trofeo tyres wrapped around optional 23” or forged 22” lightweight wheels complete with titanium bolts.

The Urus Performante feels amazingly stable even when going around fast curves.

The V8 has that typical Lamborghini burble at idle and sounds violent at the limit. The recaliberated steering is as direct as it has ever gotten. It loves to point and scoot. Nowhere as scary as an Aventador, which is actually welcome on our roads. It now also ensures that the rear steer kicks in early. The car feels amazingly stable even when going around fast curves. Helps to go faster now that it is a slightly wider and lower SUV.

The Urus Performante goes from 0-100kph takes just 3.3 seconds, and braking from 100 km to standstill happened in 32.9 m.

Accelerating from 0-100kph takes just 3.3 seconds although it can feel much faster than that. Braking from 100 km to standstill in 32.9 m, which is also welcome on our roads. Aerodynamic efficiency is improved, with overall downforce increased by 8%. The new differential has optimised torque distribution, delivering a ratio increase from 3.16 to 3.4 in drive conditions and from 3.02 to 3.33 when coasting.

The Urus Performante gets semi-slicks developed to suit the characteristics of an SUV even more.

The tyres (sizes 285/40 R22 and 325/35 R22) are an evolution of the earlier rubber. Developed by Pirelli in cooperation with Lamborghini, these semi-slicks have been developed to suit the characteristics of an SUV even more – which means more versatile, better grip and better ride quality in both dry, wet, hot and cold conditions.

In Corsa, high-speed stability and flat cornering get enhanced by active anti-roll bars and maximum damping. 

The drive modes have been redone too. Strada, is its ‘comfort’ mode for normal driving with onus on a relatively less hard ride. In Sport, throttle response is enhanced and rear-wheel steering gets more agile. It allows a bit of oversteer with faster gear-shifts. Stiffer steel springs and specific dampers’ tuning aids the chassis response to a more sportier drive. In Corsa, high-speed stability and flat cornering get enhanced by active anti-roll bars and maximum damping. Also, the sports exhaust is at its aural best.

While it isn't an off-roader in a conventional 4x4 spec but give it a fast dirt track and it will plaster a smile on the driver’s face.

Apart from these three, a Urus Performante gets a new ‘Rally’ mode, elevating the Super SUV’s fun-to-drive sportiness on dirt tracks. Its oversteer character is amplified with anti-roll and damping systems optimized for steel springs on rough and more extreme surfaces. This results in more confidence even in the absence of grip. The SUV intelligently modulates power and helps provide just enough grip at the right time allowing the driver to slide out of corners with easy four-wheel drifts. While a tar road has traditionally been a Lamborghini stronghold, with this mode, it gives the superSUV major capability for the rough. Mind you it isn’t an off-roader in a conventional 4x4 spec but give it a fast dirt track and it will plaster a smile on the driver’s face.

Interiors

The Urus Performante gets interior matt carbon fibre details, red door handles, and a customised kickplate with Ad Personam logo. 

What started with the Huracan and went one step further with the Urus was the cabin premiumness. Lamborghini is no longer skimping on that. While black Alcantara is standard, it is offering a new hexagonal seat stitching design, which they call “Performante trim”. Customers can get this for the doors, roof-lining, seat backrest and rear wall. More of customization include interior matt carbon fibre details, red door handles, and a customised kickplate with Ad Personam logo. 

While black Alcantara is standard, it is offering a new hexagonal seat stitching design, which they call “Performante trim”. 

The Alcantara/leather steering wheel is trimmed in matt black. Even the aluminum interior trim is black anodised. There is an optional “Dark Package”, which extends the matt black treatment to other interior details such as the lever of the Urus’ central ‘TAMBURO’, hosting controls such as the start/stop button and drive mode selector.

The car gets an optional “Dark Package”, which extends the matt black treatment to other interior details such as the lever of the Urus’ central ‘TAMBURO'.

Verdict 

In Performante guise, a Urus outshines itself. The league of performance SUVs has been growing one and there are many formidable rivals with nearly equivalent performance which makes this Rs. 4.22 crore price tag look a bit too obscene. 

The 2023 Lamborghini Urus Perfromante is priced at Rs. 4.22 crore 

But driving a Lamborghini is nothing short of an event. And while an Urus can still not upstage its other supercar stablemates when it comes to performance it sure is breathing down their tailpipes now.