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Finally, A Lamborghini SUV

Topics: Lamborghini Urus

Finally, A Lamborghini SUV

Geoff Maxted
DriveWrite
September 24, 2013

Lamborghini, designers of breathtaking sports cars, were possibly on a hiding to nothing if they decided to develop a SUV. Nevertheless, with typical Italian flair they went at it and came up with a concept (shown at Beijing last year) which confounds the would-be critics. That’s it in the image and, although an SUV, couldn’t be anything else than a Lambo.

The company expects the Urus SUV concept to get the green light for production, according to CEO, Stephan Winkelmann.

"We're working on it and it will come, which will be good for the brand," Winkelmann said in reference to the SUV during an interview last week in Tokyo, "We're going low profile now. I can't tell you much on details now, but when we get close to the launch, we will have more."

Lamborghini and Bentley, both owned by Volkswagen Group, had prototype SUVs at similar stages of development late last year, though only Bentley got the parent company's go ahead to produce an SUV. So there you have it; the Bentley SUV is the Lamborghini SUV and vice versa. The difference right now is that the Italian version looks to be considerably more sleek and desirable. Depends on how the final look of the Bentley turns out. The Cayenne's success at Porsche, another of Volkswagen’s 12 brands, has led luxury brands to pursue a similar course of action.

Lamborghini discontinued their last attempt at a form of SUV, the tank-like LM002, in 1993 after a failed effort to make military vehicles. The new concept SUV, if built, could come to market in 2016 or 2017, Winkelmann said in April last year. Now it looks like the dream will come true.

Lamborghini sees its biggest growth opportunities in Japan, the Middle East and America as the impetus seems to have gone from the Chinese luxury car market according to CEO Winkelmann. The company believe they could sell three thousand SUV’s in the global market place. Let’s hope it comes to the UK. With a new name though. Right now it sounds a bit like an unpleasant bodily growth.