Lamborghini Urus SE Review: A Sonic Boomer or a Hybrid Whimper?
This isn’t just another performance SUV; it’s a full-blown hypercar masquerading as a luxury family transporter. Lamborghini has long reigned as the emperor of absurd, dramatic, and exhilarating vehicles. From the ground-hugging lines of the Aventador to the outrageous proportions of the Revuelto, the company has built its identity on pushing every possible boundary. The Lamborghini Urus cemented this legacy by taking the idea of a high-performance SUV and turbocharging it with the full fury of Italian passion. It wasn’t subtle, it didn’t apologize, and it certainly didn’t blend in.
But in 2025, the world has shifted, and even the Raging Bull has to adapt to the modern climate. Lamborghini has embraced the future of electrification, not out of necessity, but out of a burning desire to prove that going green doesn’t mean sacrificing soul. They’ve unveiled the Urus SE, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model that promises the impossible: the eco-consciousness of a hybrid married to the untamed heart of a Lamborghini.
The end of the line?
If you were hoping for a simple evolution, think again. Lamborghini has officially retired the high-octane Urus S and the track-focused Performante. They’re gone. The only Urus available is this electrifying new hybrid. But don’t let the “eco” label fool you. Beneath the hood, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine still roars to life, now supplemented by a powerful electric motor. Together, they churn out a combined output of nearly 800 horsepower. This isn’t a softened Urus; it’s the most powerful, and potentially the most thrilling, Urus ever built.
Still, the SE does more than just guzzle petrol with gusto. It offers up to 37 miles of pure electric range, making it a viable option for your daily commute. The CO2 emissions are just 140g/km, a number that will undoubtedly turn heads in the world of luxury SUVs. While it won’t convert committed EV enthusiasts, it’s a significant step forward for a car known more for its engine noise than its environmental footprint.
The styling remains quintessentially Lamborghini, but there have been some subtle refinements. A redesigned front fascia, a revised rear end, and a larger, 12.3-inch infotainment screen inside give the SE a fresh, modern look.
The question remains: is the Urus SE the definitive choice for those who demand ultimate performance and aggressive style? Or has the shift to hybrid power dulled the hedonistic thrill that defines the brand? Would you be better off with a rival like the Audi RS Q8, the Bentley Bentayga, or the Porsche Cayenne? All of these competitors share similar underpinnings, leading us to consider alternatives such as the Aston Martin DBX or the Range Rover Sport SV, which offer their own unique takes on the luxury performance SUV formula.
What’s new?
May 2024: Urus SE plug-in hybrid on sale combining a 4.0-litre V8 engine, electric motor and 22kWh battery for a total 789bhp
April 2024: Urus SE plug-in hybrid unveiled at Beijing Motor Show
September 2022: Standard model is now Urus S with 657bhp
August 2022: Urus Performante has 657bhp, 47kg lighter, recalibrated driving modes, revised aerodynamics
April 2018: First UK deliveries take place. All cars have carbon ceramic brakes, adaptive air suspension, four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, six driving modes
December 2017: Production car debuts and orders open. Urus has a 641bhp twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine, can do 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds, 189mph top speed
April 2012: Urus concept shown at Beijing Motor Show
Overview
If pure performance and driver engagement were the only metrics, the Lamborghini Urus SE would score a perfect five stars. It handles with astonishing agility, accelerates with savage ferocity, and arguably stands as the most fun and capable performance SUV available. It’s the machine for those who prioritize exhilaration and theater over pillowy ride comfort and quiet cruising—although its electric mode is eerily silent. It drops to four stars because the Aston Martin DBX is nearly as thrilling to drive while offering superior luxury and interior refinement, and the Porsche Cayenne delivers 90% of the Urus’s capabilities at a significantly lower price point. But if you overlook those two and opt for a Urus SE, we’d completely understand why.
Strengths
Searingly quick with hybrid power
Thundering V8 noise with electric silence
Delightfully balanced ride and handling
Weaknesses
Hybrid system can sometimes feel disconnected
Interior quality doesn’t match its rivals at this price point
Hugely expensive to purchase
Performance & Drive: A Symphony of Horsepower
What defines the Urus SE is its powertrain. As the only available configuration, it combines the familiar 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor and a 22kWh battery pack. The V8 engine produces slightly less power than the non-hybrid Performante (612 bhp vs. 666 bhp), but when coupled with the electric motor, the combined output reaches a staggering 789 horsepower and 701 lb-ft of torque. This is, without a doubt, a significant amount of power.
This enormous power reserves the SE as the most potent Urus on the market, yet it’s surprisingly not the quickest. This is primarily due to weight—the addition of the hybrid system adds considerable heft, making the SE the heaviest Urus ever produced. Ultimately, the extra power and weight more or less cancel each other out. The Urus SE accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds, while the lighter but less powerful Performante managed 3.3 seconds.
If this slight performance deficit is disappointing, perhaps it’s time to gain some perspective. On paper, the Urus SE is still a fraction quicker than other high-end performance SUVs, including the fastest Porsche Cayenne (the Turbo E-Hybrid GT Package), the Aston Martin DBX S, the Audi RS Q8, and the Bentley Bentayga Speed.
On the road, the Urus SE feels brutally fast. In the most aggressive driving modes, which prioritize performance over efficiency, the electric motor delivers an instant surge of torque when you hit the accelerator, followed immediately by the V8’s deep-chested, relentless power delivery—all the way up to 194 mph if the road allows. There’s also an “Overtake” button on the steering wheel that provides a quick burst of extra power, as well as a launch control system for that perfect drag-race start.
The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts gears with lightning speed in the sportier modes—far more rapidly than the Aston Martin DBX’s automatic gearbox—but it does exhibit a slight delay when shifting down if the car is operating in hybrid mode or running solely on electric power.
In full electric mode, the Urus SE can reach speeds of up to 84 mph, which is more than adequate for cruising through city environments. The official electric range is 37 miles, which isn’t particularly impressive for a plug-in hybrid, but, once again, the hybrid system is primarily designed to enhance performance rather than achieve ultimate efficiency. Still, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid manages nearly 45 miles (WLTP) using the same 22kWh battery.
You can charge the battery using the petrol engine, which is a rather pointless exercise since it only burns more fuel. It’s far more sensible to charge the battery from a home wall box, which typically takes about 3.5 hours for a full charge.
Agility and Comfort: Overcoming the Laws of Physics
Agility is the Lamborghini Urus’s core selling point, which is truly remarkable considering it weighs around 2.5 tonnes. However, you’d never know that from behind the wheel. A suite of advanced technologies is employed to defy basic physics, enabling this hulking SUV to change direction and navigate corners at high speeds.
First, the Urus SE is equipped with a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system that distributes power between the front and rear axles via a center differential. An electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential then metes out torque to individual rear wheels. This sophisticated setup allows the Urus to harness incredible traction (grip during acceleration) but also feel rear-wheel drive—and incredibly fun, much like a sports car—by sending up to 100% of the available power to the rear wheels alone.
The car is most likely to engage this rear-driven dynamic in Sport mode, which is the Urus’s playful setting. Sport mode deliberately makes the rear wheels more susceptible to slipping (oversteer) as you accelerate out of turns. Corsa mode (the Italian word for “race”) is the most focused setting. This is the mode you’d select if you intended to take the Urus to a racetrack, for example, as it keeps the handling as precise and predictable as possible to achieve the quickest lap times.
The Urus SE also features adjustable air suspension and active anti-roll bars, which allow you to tune the ride for either comfort or cornering performance
