An all-encompassing Lamborghini experience

A month or so ago one such mail arrived from Lamborghini South Africa, where the Italian supercar maker invited me to sample its latest Huracan Evo as well as its Urus models. I headed down to the Western Cape recently to soak-up this experience.

The Evo

Having driven the Huracan Performante last year, and having experienced the car with which the Huracan shares many parts with, the Audi R8 V10, I approached the latest Evo variant with high expectations. The Evo itself is the updated version of the original Huracan, which received some negative press for being slightly dull to drive. The Evo aims to remedy this by infusing what the brand had learnt from the hardcore Performante while incorporating a degree of daily usability. From a visual perspective, the Huracan provides all of the theatrics expected from the Italian brand, with a low-slung supercar stance, now complemented by a reshaped front splitter

That engine

The best word to describe the Huracan Evo is visceral. The naturally aspirated V10 displaces 5.2-litres and produces an incredible 570 kW and 600 N.m of torque, allowing for a zero to 100 km/h sprint of 2.9 seconds and a top speed in excess of 325 km/h. While the Evo is most certainly frenetically fast, the ferocious acceleration of modern turbocharged supercars is absent in the Huracan, which for me was a breath of fresh air, allowing for a higher degree of accessibility. The performance is accompanied by a spine-tingling howl and a power delivery that in typical naturally aspirated fashion, builds up to a symphonic crescendo.  This is one of the greatest engines that I’ve ever experienced and likely will experience without some form of electronic assistance, as we head into the hybridised, electrified future.

What’s new?

Additions to the Evo over the previous Huracan include what the brand calls Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata (LDVI) which is a CPU designed to combine the efforts of the four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, torque vectoring and traction control system to predict the upcoming driving environment and best combine these systems for a specific application. The aforementioned technology along with the relatively low kerb weight and fancy magnetic dampers endow the Evo the sort of ride quality and ability on normal road surfaces that the previous Performante variant simply cannot match. While not exactly plush, I could imagine an incredibly wealthy person using one of these as a daily driver, or perhaps an occasional use car, with the brand’s Urus now in the mix, but more about that later.

Contributing to the improved usability is the latest Lamborghini connectivity system in the form of an 8.4-inch colour touchscreen housed within the centre console. The adjustment of the volume for the audio is a bit of an annoyance as a result of it having to be adjusted via haptics on the screen though, however,  the system works well otherwise, and certainly catapults Lamborghini into the new decade from an interior aesthetics perspective. The operation of the indicators and lights via the steering wheel taking some getting used to though, but do start to make sense when you’re on-the-go and are aware of where the switches are located. Overall, the Huracan does the job of making both the driver and the passenger feel as though they’re in something special every time they climb inside.

Verdict

The Evo is now what the Huracan should have been from the very beginning, an engaging, usable supercar package that will appeal to those looking for a theatrical, atmospherically charged supercar in a world of forced induction.

The Urus

The Urus is the brand’s first SUV and indeed its first turbocharged V8 production car. It is the car that makes the likes of the Huracan and Aventador possible, thanks to its more universal appeal, added practicality, and, I say this with a tablespoon of salt, its lower price tag versus other Lamborghini products. The brand has quite literally doubled its volume as a result of this car, heading past its 8 000 unit target in 2019, making it a serious player in the super-premium segment. In addition to wearing a Lamborghini badge, the designers have managed the tough act of making the Urus look like a Lamborghini SUV at their first attempt. There simply isn’t an angle where the Urus looks anything but menacing.

The Urus is potentially the world’s most bonkers production SUV, with 478 kW and 850 N.m of torque from a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 engine powering all four wheels.  Performance is absolutely insane, with 100 km/h coming up in 3.6 seconds and a claimed top speed of 305 km/h. It also surprises in the handling department, with a demeanour that makes it easy to approach, like a super-fast saloon car of sorts. What surprised most at launch was the fact that Urus feels so keen on being a lofty sports car, with direct steering, incredible brakes, supple suspension and potent acceleration which will likely satiate the average Lamborghini owner during their periods without a go in their respective supercars.

The elephant in the room

Those looking for a pure Lamborghini experience need apply elsewhere, the Volkswagen Group underpinnings are difficult to escape and are most certainly evident throughout the cabin with the various switchgear, infotainment screens and certain interior parts shared with the Audi Q8 and various other Volkswagen Group MLBevo platform cars.

Verdict

The Urus is the sort of vehicle that will broaden the appeal of the Lamborghini brand, while providing existing owners with an incredibly fast, capable and well-made performance SUV.”

Pricing

Lamborghini Urus R3 495 000

Lamborghini Huracan Evo R5 695 000