Unsurprisingly, The Urus Is Proving To Be A Huge Hit For Lamborghini

Mar. 12, 2018 2:31 PM ET by Martin Bigg / 15 Comments

You know Lamborghini is making a killing out of the Urus when the average selling price for the SUV is $240,000.

As the automaker's first ever mass market SUV, the launch of the Urus marks a significant new era for Lamborghini. While some may bemoan an SUV wearing a Lamborghini badge for being sacrilegious, the Urus is a pivotal profit-making model that will help the company double its annual sales. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Urus is already proving to be a huge hit with consumers, but the SUV's initial sales have far exceeded Lamborghini's expectations.

Lamborghini

In an interview with CNBC, Lamborghini's CEO Stefano Domenicali said that he expects around 1,000 Urus SUVs to be assembled this year. "We were expecting a positive feedback from the customer, but not at the level we are receiving now," the CEO told CNBC. "The reaction of the customer is really fantastic." Domenicali went on to say that 70 percent of Urus buyers have never owned a Lamborghini before, so the company is successfully broadening the appeal of the brand to a wider audience. Domenicali was also surprised by how many female buyers have been attracted to the Urus. "We have seen an increase in female buyers for sure," he said.

By far the most eye-opening revelation from the interview, however, is how much customers are willing to spend on the SUV. Prices for the Urus start at $200,000, but the average selling price of the SUV is $240,000 with options included. That translates to a healthy profit for Lamborghini. The performance SUV has even been a strong seller in Russia, India and other markets with bad roads that were unsuitable for supercars like the Aventador and Huracan. Domenicali did, however, acknowledge that adding a mass market SUV to Lamborghini's line-up will polarize traditional enthusiasts. "This is a polarizing car, you either love it or you don't," he said.

For those that don't I say just drive it. When they are seated in this car, they discover something they were not expecting." Lamborghini plans to produce around 5,000 cars this year, more than 1,000 of which will be the Urus. By the end of 2019, Lamborghini expects to produce around 8,000 cars – with more than half being the SUV. Don't think, however, that this rapid growth will harm the prestigious exclusivity of the brand. "The growth has to be done right," Domenicali said. "At the end of 2019 we will need to stop the growth to make sure that we have the value of exclusiveness that we need to make sure we keep on being profitable and that perception of the brand is what we want."