If there’s one model in the luxury segment that doesn’t need an update to boost sales, it’s the Urus. Lamborghini’s Super SUV has already been assembled in more than 20,000 units since it entered production just four years ago. He helped the Sant’Agata Bolognese peeps achieve their all-time best half-year sales in the first half of 2022 by delivering 5,090 cars. The spiritual successor to the LM002 accounted for 61% of the total volume.
Although the Urus is a huge success, Lamborghini cannot ignore newcomers such as the Aston Martin DBX and the future Thoroughbred Ferrari. To that end, the performance derivative Performante breaks the cover today with more power and less weight. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 has been massaged to extract an additional 16 hp for a grand total of 666 hp. As for the torque, it remained unchanged, at 850 Newton-meters (627 lb-ft).
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The Urus was put on a diet to eliminate 47 kilograms (104 pounds) of fat to further improve its performance. Speaking of which, the Performante gains three tenths of a second on the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint, which now takes just 3.3 seconds. Full throttle, the family sports car on stilts will do 190 mph (306 km/h) or about the same as before. If you want to go even faster in an SUV, the most powerful DBX707 reaches a maximum of 193 mph (310 km/h).
As well as gaining power and losing weight, the Lamborghini Urus Performante has seen its chassis lowered by 20 millimeters (0.8 in) while the tracks have been widened by 16 mm (0.6 in). Sturdier carbon fiber wheel arches accommodate optional 23-inch or forged 22-inch wheels with titanium bolts and bespoke Pirelli Trofeo R tires.
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The Fastest production SUV at Pikes Peak is actually 25 millimeters (almost an inch) longer than before after making changes to the front and rear bumpers. Tweaks to the roof-mounted spoiler have also been made and include carbon fiber fins derived from the Aventador SVJ to help increase rear downforce by 38 percent. Overall, downforce is up 8% over the non-Performance spec.
As standard, the Urus Performante features an Akrapovic exhaust and many carbon fiber parts, including the lower rear bumper and diffuser. There’s also a new differential to help distribute torque more efficiently, as well as a quicker rear-wheel steering system. For a more direct feel, Lamborghini also recalibrated the steering of the front wheels.
Beyond the usual driving modes, the Urus 2023 adds Rally for better performance on dirt roads. Anti-roll and damping systems are reconfigured to handle harder surfaces and improve the SUV’s versatility, as Adventurous report ST-X concept unveiled a few years ago.
The interior is largely the same, but we have to mention a new hexagonal seat stitching, dark package and revised graphics for the driver display and infotainment touchscreen. As before, there are plenty of customization options through the To the person program, including red door handles, bespoke side sills, aluminum accents and numerous leather and Alcantara choices.
The 2023 Lamborghini Urus Performance is priced at $260,676 in the United States. Interestingly, the Chinese-market SUV will be capped at a lower 640 horsepower “for homologation reasons.”