Lamborghini's CEO, Stefano Domenicali, has been a major source of updates on the automaker's first modern SUV, the Urus. In interviews he has revealed the production goals and cap for the Urus as well as the hope that the new model will soften the automaker's image. The latest nugget of knowledge to come out of a Stefano Domenicali interview was wrested away by Digital Trends, with the CEO revealing to the site that Urus production will begin in April. That's only two months away, but don't get excited just yet.
The first Urus's off the line will be pre-production models. "Production will start in April, though the plant will initially build pre-series models. As you know, this is an entirely new process so the first few cars will be prototypes," Domenicali revealed. The first few cars will be used to educate the Lamborghini dealer network. It sounds silly, but remember that the company has never made anything like this before. OK, the LM002 was technically an SUV. However, in the time since the Rambo Lambo's debut the segment has changed drastically. In addition to dropping information on the Urus' production timeline, Lamborghini's top dog also spoke about its abilities as an off-roader and the company's outlook on hybridization.
When asked point blank by Digital Trends if the Urus will be able to off-road, Stefano Domenicali replied, "Yes, it will have a specific setup for ice, snow, stones, and sand." Let's hope it has the ground clearance to match. The Urus will be the first Lamborghini to go hybrid, although that may not happen for a couple of years. "Hybrid is something we need to consider, it's a natural step," the Italian auto exec stated, before promptly hedging his bets, "If you ask me when and how, I believe that in the next three or four years we won't be ready with the right specifications. We have other ideas to keep our naturally-aspirated engine alive for the next few years, but we need to think."
Lamborghini doesn't see the tech working out "in the next 10 years," although there was an acknowledgement that hybrid models could come sooner than that. Undoubtedly we will eventually see a hybrid Urus, just not any time soon. That's OK with us. Lamborghini needs to focus on more important things, like boosting its sales numbers and ensuring that the V12 has a future.
