The Urus SE, Explained: How Lamborghini's Plug-In Hybrid Super SUV Works
The Urus SE is a plug-in hybrid, not an electric car. A 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor at the gearbox make 789 horsepower together, a 25.9 kWh battery carries it about 35 miles on electricity alone by the EPA’s count, and nothing about it asks the driver to plug in: with the battery empty it drives as an ordinary hybrid, on gas, exactly as quick. Four electric modes — EV, Hybrid, Recharge and Performance — set how the V8 and the motor share the work. The practical result is a Urus that can leave a hotel drive in near silence and, a block later, wake the V8 when you ask for it.
| What | Urus SE | Urus S (V8 only) | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 800 CV / 789 hp | 666 CV / 657 hp | V8 plus motor, combined |
| 0–62 mph | 3.4 s | 3.5 s | Motor torque at zero rpm |
| Top speed | 194 mph | 190 mph | 312 vs 305 km/h |
| Electric range | 35 mi (EPA) | none | Lamborghini quotes over 60 km |
| Fuel economy | 20 mpg gas; 48 MPGe | 16 mpg | EPA combined |
| Battery | 25.9 kWh | none | Plug-in, optional to use |
| Looks | New hood, lights, rear | Earlier face | Redesigned inside and out |
Is the Urus a hybrid, or is it electric?
The Urus SE is a hybrid you can plug in. It is not electric: the V8 is still the heart of it, and the battery is there to add to it, not replace it.
The earlier Urus ran on gas alone. Lamborghini calls the SE its first plug-in hybrid super SUV, and it is still the only kind of electrified Urus: there is no all-electric one. Lamborghini also lists a more extreme Urus SE Performante at 812 CV and 3.3 seconds to 62 mph; this article is about the standard SE.
How does the Urus SE hybrid system work?
It is a parallel hybrid, and a conventional one in layout. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 — re-engineered for the SE — drives an 8-speed automatic. An electric motor rated at 141 kW (192 CV) works alongside it at the gearbox, so both can push the car at once or either can do it alone. A 25.9 kWh lithium-ion battery feeds the motor. Power goes to all four wheels through an electronic rear differential and an electric torque-vectoring system, with rear-wheel steering helping the car turn.
Lamborghini’s name for the idea is “two hearts”: thermal power and electric precision. The motor’s value is not only the extra horsepower. It makes full torque from a standstill, so it covers the moment in which a turbocharged V8 is still building boost — which is where the hybrid Urus feels different from the old one.
How much horsepower does the Urus SE make, and how fast is it?
Lamborghini rates the SE at 800 CV, which is 789 horsepower in the American measure, with 950 Nm (701 lb-ft) of torque combined. The V8 alone makes 620 CV (about 612 hp) and the motor 192 CV (about 189 hp); the two peaks do not land at the same instant, which is why the total is not their sum. A plain way to say it: the SE has roughly 130 horsepower more than the V8-only Urus S, which Lamborghini rates at 666 CV (657 hp).
Acceleration is the number that gets quoted most: 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) in 3.4 seconds, against 3.5 for the Urus S, and a top speed of 312 km/h, or 194 mph. Lamborghini quotes 62 rather than 60 mph, and 60 arrives a hair sooner. The gain over the V8-only car is small on paper and larger in the seat, because the motor works at the moment the engine is slowest.
What do the EV, Hybrid, Recharge and Performance modes do?
The SE has two sets of modes, and they combine. The familiar set is the terrain-and-attitude dial: Strada, Sport, Corsa, Sabbia, Terra and Neve. Lamborghini pairs those with four electric modes — EV, Hybrid, Recharge and Performance — for 11 dynamic configurations in all.
The four electric modes, in plain terms
EV. Electric only, for as long as the battery lasts. The V8 stays off, and the car moves almost silently.
Hybrid. The car decides, moment to moment, whether the motor, the V8 or both are doing the work. This is the mode for ordinary driving.
Recharge. The V8 puts charge back into the battery as you drive, for the guest who wants electric running available later in the day.
Performance. Both power sources at full effort. This is where the 789 horsepower is on offer.
For a guest the first and last matter. EV is the silent exit from a hotel drive late at night, neighbors undisturbed, and Performance is the answer to a long on-ramp. Everything between is the car managing itself.
How far does the Urus SE go on electricity, and what does charging mean for a renter?
The EPA lists the SE at 35 miles of all-electric range, 48 MPGe on electricity plus gas, 20 mpg on gas alone and about 450 miles combined range. Lamborghini’s own claim is more than 60 km, roughly 37 miles, measured on a different test. In practice, 35 miles covers a hotel drive, dinner in West Hollywood and the trip back, and the number falls with speed, hills and the air conditioning.
Charging is where a hybrid is easy to misread. The battery is a bonus, not an obligation. Published specifications give a maximum AC charge rate of 7.2 kW, a little over four hours for 20–100% on a Level 2 station, so a hotel with a charger can refill it overnight if you want the electric miles back. If you do not plug it in, nothing changes: the car runs as a normal hybrid on gas, and the guest has no charging to do. EV mode is a feature to use when it is useful, not a duty.
What does the Urus SE feel like next to the V8-only Urus?
Different at low speed, familiar at high. Pulling away, the motor answers before the turbochargers wake, so the SE leaps off the line, and around town in EV it makes almost no sound at all. Put it in Performance and Corsa and it is a Urus again, with the V8 doing the speaking. The battery adds weight, and the air suspension, rear-wheel steering and torque vectoring are there to carry it.
The V8-only Urus is loud whenever it is running; the SE adds the choice of silence. For the roads that reward the V8, the roads worth taking it on have their own page. Against its rivals — the Bentley Bentayga and the Mercedes-AMG G 63 — the three-way comparison sets out who each car is for.
What changed in the design?
Quite a lot, and mostly where you see it. Lamborghini lists a new hood with a “floating” design, with no cut line, inspired by the Revuelto; new matrix LED headlights with a light signature taken from the tail of the Lamborghini bull; and a completely redesigned rear, where Y-shaped taillights are joined to a new diffuser. With the new spoiler, the diffuser increases rear downforce by 35%, and the aerodynamic setup improves cooling by 15% and brake cooling by 30%. New 23-inch Galanthus wheels are offered. Inside, the cockpit has a larger display with a new interface Lamborghini calls the Endless Carousel.
The practical side is still a Urus: five seats, a rear bench, and a cargo area the EPA rates at 16 cubic feet.
The short version
The Urus SE is a V8 super SUV with an electric motor added, not an electric car with a V8 added. 789 horsepower, 3.4 seconds to 62 mph, 35 miles on electricity by the EPA’s rating, and four electric modes: EV, Hybrid, Recharge, Performance.
For a driver, it is a Urus that can leave quietly and arrive loudly, with no charging to think about. The car and its calendar are on the Urus SE page; the rest of the family is on the Urus hub and the Lamborghini page.
Cars in this guide
More on this: Which car to rent — every article on the topic, and where to book.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
Is the Urus SE a hybrid, and does it need charging?
Nizo Luxury rents the Urus SE at $1,199 a day — +1 (424) 303-6496 — and it is a plug-in hybrid, not an electric car: a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor, 789 horsepower together. It never needs to be plugged in. With the battery empty it drives as an ordinary hybrid on gas, and the guest has no charging to do; if a hotel has a charger, it is there for the electric miles.
How far can the Urus SE go on electricity?
The EPA lists 35 miles of all-electric range, and about 450 miles combined with gas. Lamborghini quotes more than 60 km, roughly 37 miles, on its own test. Speed, hills and air conditioning all shorten the figure; 35 miles still covers a hotel drive and a dinner across town.
How much horsepower does the Urus SE make, and how fast is it?
Lamborghini rates it at 800 CV, which is 789 horsepower, with 950 Nm of torque combined from the V8 and the electric motor. It reaches 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and tops out at 194 mph (312 km/h).
What do EV, Hybrid, Recharge and Performance modes do?
EV runs on electricity only; Hybrid lets the car share the work between motor and V8; Recharge has the V8 put charge back into the battery as you drive; Performance uses both power sources at full effort. They pair with the six familiar modes — Strada, Sport, Corsa, Sabbia, Terra and Neve — for 11 configurations in all.
What is the difference between the Urus SE and the V8-only Urus?
Power, plug and face. The SE adds an electric motor and a 25.9 kWh battery to the V8 for 789 horsepower against 657, and 20 mpg on gas against 16 for the V8-only Urus S. It also gets a redesigned hood, headlights, rear end and cockpit. Both are five-seat SUVs.
Is the Urus SE quieter than the V8-only Urus?
In EV mode, yes, by a long way: the V8 is off and the car moves almost silently, which suits a hotel drive at night. Once the V8 starts it sounds like a Lamborghini, and in Performance mode it is as loud as any Urus.