Is it time for a friendlier Lamborghini? The Italian supercar brand is known for brash, angular styling and invigorating engine sound, but the new $258,636 hybrid-electric Urus SE softens those traits while still delivering the performance that Lamborghini drivers (and aspiring drivers) expect.

That means that for my trip over the mountains between Bologna and Florence and across the fields of Tuscany, the rumbling twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine’s thrust was augmented by an electric motor that provides additional urgency while accelerating out of switchback curves. And while trundling through sleepy villages, the electric motor can take over, letting the Urus whisk by with as little notice as possible when driving a Lamborghini.

The numbers are impressive: the hybrid-electric powertrain combines combustion with electricity to deliver 800 horsepower and 700 lb.-ft. of torque. This allows 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 194 mph. That speed makes it faster than the Urus S, which is discontinued along with the Urus Performante in favor of just the Urus SE for 2025.

The SE’s debut completes Lamborghini’s electrification of its product line, with hybrid electric drivetrains in all three of its models and a plan to offer a battery-electric crossover coupe model called the Lanzador by 2030. An aspect of this shift toward electrification is a greater focus on aerodynamic efficiency, so the Urus SE features cleaned-up styling that reduces drag but that also eliminates some of the traditional Lamborghini flourishes. 

Those might have struck skeptics as being over the top, but they underscored the company’s dedication to edginess. One detail among the changes to the front and rear facias around the grille and the taillights is a longer hood that stretches all the way to the grille opening. This eliminates a cutline that cluttered the styling with a break between the hood and the fascia surrounding the grill previously.

Now the Urus SE features softened, less aggressive styling and power delivery that remains authentically muscular while providing the potential to hush the car’s voice when driving in EV mode. Lamborghini says that the 25.9 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack will power the Urus SE for an estimated range of 37 miles, though it only went about 25 miles for me while slicing through the esses of mountain roads.

You might think that running on electric power alone that the Urus could seem underpowered for rural highway running, considering the peak power rating of 192 horsepower. But the electric motor produces 356 lb.-ft. of torque, which is plenty for maintaining a brisk-but-legal pace while also trying to minimize your co-pilot’s battle with motion sickness.

The Urus SE has four driver-selectable electric performance strategy settings: EV, which runs the car as a battery-electric, Hybrid, which optimizes it for efficiency, Recharge, which uses the combustion engine to top off the battery for later use, and Performance, which depletes the battery to maximize the combined performance of the combustion and electric motors.

In addition to electric performance modes, the Urus has driving modes for normal driving (Strada), sporty driving (Sport), track driving (Corsa), sand (Sabbia), dirt (Terra), and snow or ice (Neve). These make adjustments to the powertrain, stability control system, and suspension to better suit the conditions. While the Urus feels great in Strada mode, selecting Sport shifts more of the power to the rear wheels, giving the feeling of a rear-drive car with the ability to induce power oversteer exiting corners. Corsa amps this up further, so it should be used at the track. 

[Related: 3 ultra-rare Lamborghini Miuras unearthed at junkyard. They could sell for millions.]

The Urus SE replaces the previous all-wheel drive system with a center transfer case and a limited-slip rear differential to provide torque vectoring that uses engine power to help turn the car. “The advantage [compared to the old all-wheel-drive system] is that we can control the distribution of the torque, front to the rear, but also manage the locking rate on the rear axle,” explained Lamborghini’s chief technical officer, Rouven Mohr.

Alas, I encountered no off-road or winter weather conditions during my day behind the wheel, leaving no chance to test the modes designed to address those situations.

The Urus SE’s cabin retains the gadget-heavy theme that is a Lamborghini signature, with a dramatic red flip-up switch cover on the Start button. Pull back on a steering wheel-mounted shift paddle to engage Drive to get underway. Climate control and comfort functions like seat heaters are all on the lower of the two center-mounted touch screen displays, while the top one handles the usual infotainment functions. Thankfully there is a physical volume knob on the console at the base of the center display and control stack and you can change stations using that same knob. 

The curious tuning decision by the Urus engineering team is the car’s steering. The Urus SE’s steering effort is very light, with too much power assistance. This seems out of place for a vehicle with a Lamborghini’s character and heritage. The light steering is reminiscent of that of American luxury cars of old. Even Cadillacs, Lincolns, and Buicks have firm, direct-feeling steering now.

But the Urus SE’s steering is so light that it provides little feedback to the driver about the front tires’ grip or the road surface. It is likely that the customers buying a hybrid-electric crossover SUV will prefer this, just as they may prefer the less aggressive styling. But it seems like Lamborghini’s best bet would be to lean into the characteristics on which the brand has built its image, in a global market of recent brands that are vying for some of the same customers.

 

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