2027 Lamborghini Urus SE Performante PHEV Gets 800 HP, Comfier Suspension And A Rally Mode

With a top speed of 194 mph, the plug-in-hybrid Lamborghini Urus SE has already been the fastest SUV in the world for the past two years, and even putting the top speed aside it's pretty damn good. But Lamborghini being Lamborghini, it wasn't done tinkering with the Urus and has made its super SUV even more super for 2027. A Performante version of the Urus was introduced back in 2022 and kept on sale for a a year or two, and Lambo has brought that trim back, just now with plug-in power. As with previous Performante Lambos, the Urus SE Performante is more powerful, lighter, and has sportier styling, but the changes for this SUV go even further.

The Urus SE Performante is less about outright speed and more about precision, handling, and dynamics. Few, if any, Urus SE Performante owners will ever take their five-seat SUVs to the track, but these new upgrades should make a twisty road more fun. Once the kids have been dropped off at school and the grocery runs are done, of course. You'll have fun driving not on roads, too, as the Performante also gets a model-specific Rally mode.

The headline figure is the power. Like the normal Urus SE, the Performante version still uses a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 paired to a permanent-magnet electric motor mounted just ahead of the gearbox and a 25.9-kWh battery pack under the floor. The Performante makes 801 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque, which isn't a huge bump over the normal Urus SE's 789 horses and 700 lb-ft, but no one's ever gonna complain about more power. The 8-speed automatic remains, as does the all-wheel-drive system with an electronically controlled central clutch and an electronically controlled locking rear differential.

Lamborghini claims the Performante shaves a tenth of a second off of the normal Urus SE's 0-to-62-mph time, doing it in 3.3 seconds. Top speed remains the same at 194 mph, though. At least no other SUVs have bested the Urus SE, so anyone buying the Performante can still say they drive the world's fastest production SUV. For now, at least.

For Performante duty, Lamborghini added tons of carbon fiber to the Urus SE's body, with parts like the hood, roof, wheel arches, side skirts, and rear diffuser being made from the stuff. A fully titanium exhaust system helps shave 22 pounds off the curb weight alone. In total, the Performante is 70 pounds lighter than the normal Urus SE, though it's still a hefty 5,452 pounds.

New dual-chamber air springs give the Urus SE Performante a much wider balance between handling capability and comfort. An upper chamber is always active and is dedicated to handling precision, dynamics, and track driving; there's also a lower chamber that activates when you pick comfier driving modes. When the two chambers are active, and the valve connecting them is open, Lamborghini says their combined volume makes the Performante a lot comfier than the normal Urus SE, which only has single-chamber air springs. Its air springs aren't the only dual-action suspension components, as the Performante has dual-valve dampers, versus the previous car's single-valve units. That allows the suspension to vary damping and rebound calibration based on road conditions and drive mode. 

A fast SUV as heavy as this one is only as good as its brakes, so the Performante gets the latest version of Lamborghini's 6D body sensor and Integrated Power Brake system. Lambo first showed off the 6D setup on the ultra-limited hybrid V12-powered Fenomeno that debuted at Pebble Beach last year. It uses a myriad of sensors to detect all sorts of vehicle data like speed, body angle and tire grip, to enhance braking performance. Lambo says the Performante has a 10% increase in braking power and a 12% improvement in braking response. 

As with all Uruses (Urii?), the Performante has a "Tamburo" drive selector with several different modes like Hybrid, Strada, Sport, and Corsa. Unique to the Performante is a Rally mode, first seen on the Huracan Sterrato, which is supposed to maximize driving pleasure on dirt and gravel roads, and other off-road scenarios. In EV mode, the Performante can hit 81 mph and go more than 37 miles.

You'll spot the Performante version from the normal one right away. The carbon-fiber hood has a power dome and a pair of nostrils, the redesigned bumper's intakes make it look wider and more aggressive, there's a new rear diffuser, and the new roof-mounted wing combines with the tailgate-mounted spoiler to give it the ultimate rich tech-bro fantasy vibe. I never liked the Urus' looks, and the Performante takes it to the extreme, but I can't help but love that Lamborghini still throws so many angles, wedges, and angry lines at its cars. In an age of boring EV minimalism, Lamborghini is unashamedly maximalist and I love it. 

Inside, the Performante looks pretty much the same. Lamborghini says it has a new steering wheel, and the 12.3-inch touchscreen is new and gets similar graphics to the Revuelto. The Dinamica microfiber throughout the cabin and on the steering wheel are pretty typical of extra-aggro Lambos.

Thankfully, its exhaust note should match its looks. The new titanium exhaust comes from Akrapovic and ditches the old X-pipe that connected the cylinder banks. Now, each cylinder bank gets its own exhaust line, which reduces exhaust gas turbulence and creates better airflow, and should make for a more exciting noise. It should sound better inside, too, as Lamborghini apparently improved "cabin acoustic transparency." 

Every version of the Urus is impressive, and the Urus SE Performante's combination of sharpened handling and plug-in performance should make for one of the most exciting SUVs around. It might look like a 12-year-old's ideal daily driver, but I'm pretty pumped to see what it's actually like to chuck around because, on paper at least, it seems mighty.