Lamborghini
It wasn’t all that long ago when shopping for—or, more realistically for most of us, lusting after—a Lamborghini simply meant deciding whether the object of your desire had a V-10 or a V-12 engine beating amidships. The arrival of the Urus in 2017 as a third model line represented a sea change in Sant’Agata Bolognese, but that was just the start. We have now had enough time to get used to the idea of a Lamborghini SUV; however, while you weren’t paying attention, Lamborghini has transformed its entire lineup into plug-in hybrids.
The replacements for the Huracán and Aventador supercars, called Temerario and Revuelto, are both saddled with battery packs and electric motors. Additionally, a 2025 update for the Urus ushers in a new SE model that comes only with a V-8 plug-in hybrid setup. These are the same basic powertrain components also found in other VW Group hybrids, including Bentleys and Porsches. Lamborghini is clear that any future performance derivatives of the Urus will have to be hybrids too.
This march to hybrids isn’t as much of a mismatch with Lamborghini’s ethos as it might seem. Engineers view the onset of hybrids as an opportunity to do more with more—fitting enough for a company known for excess and over-the-top thinking. Compared with the model it replaces, the Urus S, the SE is more powerful, more efficient, more aerodynamic, and more configurable. With a combined output of 789 horsepower from its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine and an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission, the SE far outpowers the Urus Performante and even outstrips the Ferrari Purosangue and its screaming 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V-12.
After driving a prototype of the Urus SE near the Arctic Circle earlier this year, we have now gotten to spend more time with the production version both at the famed Nardò Technical Center proving grounds and the surrounding roads in southern Italy. While we need more time behind the wheel and at our own test track to fully delve into the subtleties of the new Urus hybrid, we can say that it’s a complicated machine with a wide variety of personalities and capabilities. Moreover, it’s plenty enticing.
Lamborghini
Although the Urus SE is heavier than before owing to its new powertrain, it disguises the extra weight well. The steering is surprisingly light and precise, and the combination of this with active anti-roll bars, rear-wheel steering, and adaptive dampers makes this roughly 5600-pound beast feel agile, if not exactly maneuverable owing to its prodigious width and high cowl.
A newly configured all-wheel-drive system features changes to the center and rear differentials, with the latter using an electronic limited-slip setup. Consequently, the Urus SE is happy to slide around. Configure the drive modes correctly and summon the instantaneous torque of the electric motor, and it’s surprisingly easy to break the rear tires loose. We did so repeatedly on a drifting course set up on the tarmac at Nardò—for science, of course.
Lamborghini
The powertrain combines electric and gasoline power in several ways, and the myriad configurations can be overwhelming. The four settings—Hybrid, Recharge, Performance, and EV Drive—are self-explanatory, with the first three all using the gasoline engine in various capacities and the fourth providing electric-only driving, at least until you exceed 81 mph or until you deplete the battery pack. There are also six driving modes for various surfaces, although not all of them can be combined with each of the powertrain settings. However, don’t worry too much about twisting all these knobs. You’ll be able to shove your passengers back in their seats in all but EV mode, which is what really matters in a near-800-hp high-performance SUV. Lamborghini also tuned the exhaust for the North American version of the Urus SE to be significantly louder and more characterful than the European models we drove and demonstrated its many pops and crackles with a gratuitous stationary rev session of a U.S.-spec car.
The gas-only Urus was among the quickest SUVs we’ve ever tested, with the 641-hp 2019 version hitting 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and the 657-hp 2023 Performante dropping that time by 0.1 second. Lamborghini claims that the SE is a tick quicker than the 657-hp Urus S, but we will have to test the new one for ourselves to see how it measures up. For what it’s worth, the hybrid setup brings curb weight up to a claimed 5523 pounds, a couple hundred pounds heavier than the 2019 model we tested (the Performante came in at under 5000 pounds, but the SE is not meant to be a hardcore track variant in the same vein).
If Lamborghini really is as committed to this hybrid thing as it claims, we should be glad that the advent of these gas-electric powertrains is accompanied by a continued commitment to performance and distinctive driving character. The Urus SE still feels appropriately excessive, multidimensional, and exciting for a $262,631 SUV that wears the raging bull emblem. Plus, offering the Urus only as a hybrid doesn’t seem to have turned away any potential customers so far, as Lamborghini claims that order banks are full through the end of next year. It may not be the small-volume supercar maker it once was, but it seems that Lamborghini continues to charge into the future horns first.
Specifications
2025 Lamborghini Urus SE
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: $262,631
POWERTRAIN
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, 612 hp, 590 lb-ft + AC motor, 189 hp, 356 lb-ft (combined output: 789 hp, 701 lb-ft; 21.8-kWh (C/D est) lithium-ion battery pack; 11.0-kW onboard charger)
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.2 in
Length: 201.7 in
Width: 79.6 in
Height: 64.5 in
Cargo Volume: 16 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 5600 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 2.9 sec
100 mph: 7.0 sec
1/4-Mile: 10.9 sec
Top Speed: 194 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 18/17/19 mpg
Combined Gasoline + Electricity: 47 MPGe
EV Range: 30 mi
Reviewed byJoey Capparella
Deputy Editor, Rankings Content
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
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