Off-roading in the most unlikely SUV: The Lamborghini Urus Performante
By Ted Welford, PA Motoring Reporter
SUVs are dominating new car sales right now, with 46% of all new cars sold in Europe in 2021 being models of this bodystyle – a figure that’s only expected to keep growing, with the influx of new SUVs due on the market in coming years. It’s easy to see the appeal: these models bring more eye-catching styling, while their higher ride height gives drivers and occupants a better view out on the road, and presents more of a ‘secure’ feel behind the wheel. Though SUVs originally played on their four-wheel-drive capability, an increasing number are purely front or rear-wheel-drive, with many buyers not interested in whether it is actually suitable to take off the tarmac.
But, what if you still want an SUV that can go off the beaten track?
While a Jeep or Land Rover might be the safe and sensible options, safe and sensible is a bit boring.What isn’t boring is the Lamborghini Urus Performante – perhaps the silliest and most extreme SUV on sale, even dubbed a ‘Super SUV’ by the Italian marque. While the Urus – first introduced in 2018 and now Lamborghini’s most popular product – might be more likely to be seen lapping Harrods than an off-road course, the firm is keen to demonstrate it can be used on tougher terrain. For the new Performante, Lamborghini has engineered a new ‘Rally’ driving mode – and to try it out, we headed to an off-road rally course next to the Vallelunga race circuit near Rome. Admittedly, it’s more suited to a dirt track than ascending a steep bank or negotiating deeper water – but it adds a further dimension to the Urus, and will come in useful for those wanting to demonstrate their SUV’s capability in a different setting. On jumping in, it’s clear this is no rough-and-ready utilitarian SUV. The cabin is awash with black Alcantara – a suede-like material widely used in high-end performance cars. It’s on the steering wheel, the seats, even the dashboard. Getting in with muddy boots on would feel like walking into The Ritz in your wellies. Once you’ve pressed the engine start button and the mighty 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine’s fired up, it’s time to activate that ‘Rally’ mode on the central cluster, which Lamborghini calls the
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