Uncertainty surrounds Lamborghini SUV: report

LAMBORGHINI parent company Audi is reportedly still deliberating over if and when the Urus SUV concept, unveiled at the Beijing motor show in 2012, will translate to production reality.

According to British publication Autocar, concerns over the global economy and ongoing unrest in the Middle East have spooked the decision-makers at parent company Audi, who have the final say on new models from the Italian supercar brand.

Lamborghini president Stephan Winkelmann confirmed to Autocar that a production Urus is still waiting on the green light from Audi, while an anonymous high-ranking Lamborghini official divulged the details.

“We are convinced the Urus can significantly boost global sales, but the financial conditions need to be sound,” said the official, who also confirmed the Urus concept had always been “a clear view towards eventual production”.

“Right now, there are signs we may be heading for a downturn in the markets due to various factors, including trouble in the Middle East, although this is not reflected in the current sales situation, which puts us ahead of 2013.”

Indeed, global sales of the new Gallardo-replacing Huracan coupe have already hit the 3000 mark this year, with a total of 3600 units forecast by the end of December and Lamborghini expecting the model and its inevitable derivatives to become the company’s all-time best seller.

A third of Huracan deliveries so far were to the United States, while the 2014 Australian allocation of 50 units was quickly exhausted and the order bank now stretches into the middle of next year – not bad for a car with a starting price of $428,000 plus on-road costs.

Volkswagen Group’s new Audi-developed MLB platform is the logical source of underpinnings for the production Urus and will be used as the basis for the upcoming Bentley SUV as well as the next-generation of Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg.

Lamborghini’s claims of best-in-class CO2 emissions for the Urus concept were followed by reports of a 440kW plug-in hybrid drivetrain based around a turbocharged Audi V8 similar to that of the RS6, RS7 and some Bentleys.

However, with the Asterion coupe concept unveiled at the recent Paris show, Lamborghini raised the engine-room stakes with a V10-based plug-in petrol-electric combination churning out a massive 678kW – enough to put the Urus in a class of its own.