The Lamborghini Urus SE: Supercar Thrills Meet Hybrid Responsibility (2026 Edition)
In the realm of automotive absurdity, the Lamborghini Urus once stood supreme, a testament to the audacious philosophy that a super sports car should have four doors and a trunk. Its angular design screamed aggression, and its roar was the stuff of legends. It was the quintessential hyper-SUV, a machine that dared to ask, “Why should Lamborghini be relegated to two-seaters?”
But even the Raging Bull recognized the seismic shift in global automotive consciousness. The eco-conscious fervor that had swept the industry could no longer be ignored. So, in a move that left enthusiasts bewildered and competitors slack-jawed, Lamborghini unveiled the Urus SE – a plug-in hybrid that simultaneously humbled and humbled its own legacy. The non-hybrid variants, the Urus S and the track-focused Performante, were retired, leaving the electrified version as the sole survivor of the lineup.
Yet, this is where the story takes a defiant turn. Lamborghini didn’t decide to shrink the Urus into a meek eco-vehicle. Instead, they weaponized the hybrid technology. At the heart of the SE remains the familiar 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, but it is now supported by a sophisticated electric motor. This synergistic pairing unleashes a staggering combined output of nearly 800 horsepower. The result is not a watered-down Urus; it is the most powerful iteration of the platform ever conceived.
However, the SE does not completely abandon its eco-warrior responsibilities. It boasts an electric-only range of up to 37 miles and a CO2 emission figure of 140 g/km. While this may not impress the dedicated eco-conscious driver, it makes the most powerful Urus in history simultaneously the most fuel-efficient one.
The exterior styling remains unmistakably Lamborghini, characterized by sharp angles and an aggressive stance. However, the arrival of the SE coincided with subtle aerodynamic refinements. A redesigned front fascia and hood, a subtly updated rear end, and an enlarged 12.3-inch infotainment screen inside were all introduced to complement the new powertrain.
This raises a fundamental question for the discerning buyer: If you desire the most extreme performance currently available in the sports utility vehicle category, will the Urus SE be your ultimate automotive fantasy, or has the transition to hybrid technology dulled the hedonism that defined its predecessors? Would you be better served by one of its formidable rivals, such as the Audi RS Q8, Bentley Bentayga, or Porsche Cayenne? Yet, as these rivals share a common ancestry with the Urus, perhaps a completely different path beckons, leading to alternatives like the Aston Martin DBX or the Range Rover Sport SV?
What’s New?
May 2024: The Urus SE plug-in hybrid is introduced to the market, featuring a combination of a 4.0-liter V8 engine, an electric motor, and a 22kWh battery, resulting in a total output of 789 horsepower.
April 2024: The Urus SE plug-in hybrid is unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show.
September 2022: The standard model is rebadged as the Urus S, boasting 657 horsepower.
August 2022: The Urus Performante is unveiled, featuring 657 horsepower, a weight reduction of 47 kg, recalibrated driving modes, and revised aerodynamics.
April 2018: The first deliveries of the Lamborghini Urus to the United Kingdom commence. All vehicles are equipped with carbon-ceramic brakes, adaptive air suspension, all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, and six selectable driving modes.
December 2017: The production version of the Urus debuts, and orders open. The vehicle is powered by a 641 horsepower twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine, capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and achieving a top speed of 189 mph.
April 2012: The Urus concept car is presented at the Beijing Motor Show.
Overview: The 2026 Lamborghini Urus SE
If the Lamborghini Urus were judged solely on its driving dynamics, it would receive a flawless five-star rating. It handles with astonishing agility, possesses breathtaking speed, and is arguably the most thrilling and capable sports utility vehicle available on the market today. It is undoubtedly the vehicle of choice for those who prioritize exhilaration and theater over a pillowy ride and quiet cruising manners, although in electric mode, it is eerily silent. The rating drops to four stars because the Aston Martin DBX offers comparable performance while excelling in luxury (its interior feels more befitting the price), and the Porsche Cayenne offers 90% of the Urus’s talents for significantly less money. However, if you were to bypass those two and opt for a Urus instead, we would completely understand your reasoning.
Strengths
Blistering Straight-Line Speed: The combination of a V8 engine and electric power creates an explosive acceleration profile.
Agile and Engaging Handling: Despite its considerable mass, the Urus feels remarkably agile and fun to drive.
Thundering V8 Soundtrack: The roar of the V8 engine is a core element of the Lamborghini experience, augmented by an exhilarating exhaust note.
Weaknesses
Aggressive Hybrid Integration: The regenerative braking system can occasionally feel inconsistent, slightly disrupting the driver’s control.
Slightly Delayed Powertrain Response: In hybrid mode, there can be a noticeable delay when demanding full acceleration.
Limited Electric Range: The electric-only range is constrained, limiting its practical viability for environmentally conscious driving.
Subpar Interior Luxury: Despite the astronomical price tag, the interior does not match the level of opulence found in its luxury competitors.
Exorbitant Purchase Price: The cost of entry is significantly higher than the average luxury SUV.
Performance and Drive: A Hybridized Beast
Ever since Lamborghini ceased production of the Urus S and Performante, the SE powertrain has become the sole option. And we use the term ‘powertrain’ advisedly, as the SE is not merely equipped with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. It is a plug-in hybrid, which incorporates an electric motor and a 22kWh battery (usable capacity). The V8 produces slightly less power than it did in the Performante (612 bhp versus 666 bhp), but when combined with the electric motor, the entire system generates 789 horsepower and 701 lb-ft of torque. This is… quite a substantial output.
This makes the SE the most powerful Urus ever, but, strangely, not the quickest. This is due to the increased weight: the SE, with the addition of the hybrid battery and electric motor, is also the heaviest Urus ever. Consequently, the extra power and weight effectively cancel each other out – 0-62 mph takes 3.4 seconds in the SE, while the less powerful but lighter Performante took 3.3 seconds.
If this seems disappointing, perhaps some perspective is in order. On paper, the Urus SE is still slightly faster than comparable high-end sports SUVs, including the quickest Porsche Cayenne (the Turbo E-Hybrid GT Package), the Aston Martin DBX S, Audi RS Q8, and Bentley Bentayga Speed.
On the road, it feels breathtakingly quick. In the most aggressive drive modes, which prioritize performance over efficiency, the electric motor provides an instant kick when you press the accelerator; then the V8 adds its powerful, unrelenting surge – all the way up to 194 mph if you have a long enough runway. There is also an overtake button on the steering wheel that delivers a brief burst of heightened performance, as well as a launch control function to ensure the perfect getaway.
The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts gears with impressive speed in the sportier drive modes – much faster than the Aston Martin DBX’s gearbox – but it does take slightly longer to downshift when the car is in hybrid mode, operating solely on the electric motor.
In full electric mode, the Urus SE can travel up to 84 mph and feels more than brisk enough for navigating urban environments. The official electric range is 37 miles, which is not impressive for a plug-in hybrid, but, again, the hybrid system is designed more for performance than ultimate efficiency. Still, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid achieves nearly 45 miles (WLTP) using the same 22kWh battery.
You can recharge the battery using the engine, which is inefficient as it simply burns more gasoline. It is more sensible to charge it from a home wall box, and a full charge takes approximately 3.5 hours.
Is It Agile, and Is the Ride Comfortable?
Agility is the Urus’s key advantage, which is remarkable considering it weighs around 2.5 tonnes. However, you would never guess this from behind the wheel, as there is a host of technology designed to overcome the basic physics of getting its sheer mass to change direction and corner quickly.
First off, the Urus is all-wheel drive, with a central differential distributing power between its front and rear wheels; an electronically limited-slip rear differential then meters out the torque between each rear wheel. With all these systems in place, the Urus achieves immense traction (
