2024 Lamborghini Urus SE hybrid revealed and priced

The 2024 Lamborghini Urus SE has been unveiled on the eve of the Beijing motor show, emerging as expected with a Porsche Cayenne-derived plug-in hybrid powertrain but liberating new-found levels of power, torque and performance.

First deliveries are expected during the third quarter and pricing has already been set for Lamborghini’s first PHEV super-SUV, starting from $457,834 plus on-road costs.

That puts the SE in the same ballpark as the current Urus Performante (from $465,876) and the Urus S (from $409,744), with the PHEV bringing a broad range of upgrades and eventually serving as the only model in the range as non-electrified versions are phased out.

New higher-performance PHEV variants are expected down the track, before Lamborghini’s next-generation SUV moves to a full-electric drivetrain before the end of the decade.

We’ve already driven a pre-production version of the Urus SE – the embargo on our first drive lifting in conjunction with the reveal – which features styling cues clearly inspired by the latest Revuelto and is powered by an uprated version of the powertrain found in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid.

A 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 (456kW/800Nm) combines with a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor (141kW/483Nm) to deliver a phenomenal 588kW of power and 950Nm of torque.

By comparison, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid is slightly less powerful at 544kW/950Nm – not to mention significantly more affordable at $288,400 plus ORCs – while the non-electrified S and Performante both produce 490kW/850Nm.

Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 3.3 seconds – matching the Urus Performante – while 0-200km/h takes 11.4sec, which is one-tenth faster than the lightweight flagship.

Top speed has increased from 306km/h in the Performante to 312km/h in the SE.

An eight-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels, while a 25.7kWh lithium-ion battery sustains the e-motor and enables an all-electric cruising range of up to 60km.

The electrification hardware weighs the best part of 200kg, and while the Urus SE is “150-180kg” heavier than its predecessor – official numbers TBC – Lamborghini execs say they’ve done everything they can to compensate elsewhere in the package.

“We are still the lightest car in the hybrid segment,” said chief technical officer Rouven Mohr.

“This was our ambition – it’s clear you cannot avoid the additional weight, it’s impossible physically, especially if you have a car that has a certain level of daily usages … we want to stay on a certain comfort level.

“But we did our utmost to buffer as much as we can, and we achieved the target weight.”

Combatting the extra heft are completely retuned underpinnings and adaptive air suspension, a new electronic limited-slip differential and a new longitudinal electric torque vectoring system afforded by the move to electrification.

“The mission of the car is to have a wider range of driving characteristics, so it’s more comfortable on one end and it’s for sure, if you look at pure numbers, it’s also [higher] on the performance,” Mohr said.

“The Urus SE should be the best Urus, the most emotional Urus that you can drive, so combining the best of both worlds but not being a one-to-one replacement of the Performante.

“For sure … we have also ideas to have an even more track-oriented version, but this will be too early to speak about it.”

Until this even hotter version materialises, Lamborghini is confident the Urus SE will be the ultimate player in the hyper-SUV segment given the PHEV tech serves primarily to enhance performance rather than reduce emissions, though Mohr said the latter was a welcome benefit.

It also provides a more versatile driving experience with 10 drive modes on offer, six of which have been carried over from the outgoing model – Strada, Sport, Corsa, Neve, Sabbia and Terra – and correspond directly to the prevailing conditions or intent.

EV Drive, Hybrid, Performance and Recharge, meantime, refer to the plug-in powertrain, though not all drive modes are compatible – Lambo specifies 11 different combinations are possible.

The car-maker hasn’t yet published official fuel consumption or emissions data, but claims the SE is 80 per cent cleaner than the Urus S in terms of CO2.

Inside the cabin you’ll find a redesigned dashboard, a bigger and updated 12.3-inch infotainment screen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, leather upholstery, four-zone climate control, 12-way power-adjustable front seats and a Sensonum premium sound system.

Other equipment highlights include the aforementioned adaptive air suspension, smartphone mirroring and vast 23-inch forged wheels shod with ultra-low-profile Pirelli P Zero rubber.

More than 100 exterior paint colours are available for the new model, along with 47 different colour combinations and four different embroidery patterns for the reworked interior.

Read our review of the new Lamborghini Urus SE

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