The Lamborghini Urus SUV will be built at VW Group’s factory in Slovakia starting in 2017, according to sources from within the company. The vehicle will be based on a modified version of VW Group’s MLB platform that will also underpin the next-generation Porsche Cayenne, the same sources told German publication Automobilwoche.
The Lamborghini Urus will be built at the Bratislava plant alongside the Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg, Audi Q7 and bodies of the forthcoming Bentley SUV. To prepare for increased SUV production at the plant, VW is said to have installed the group’s largest metal press in Bratislava, which is capable of producing steel and aluminum body panels.
According to the same report, the automaker will increase the use of reinforced aluminum in future SUVs in order to reduce weight and fuel consumption.
The Urus will be Lamborghini’s first SUV since the LM002 of the 1990s. Popularly known as the Rambo Lambo, the Lamborghini LM002 was discontinued in 1993 after a failed effort to make military vehicles.
It is not just VW Group’s luxury brands adding new SUVs to meet demand from wealthy customers from China, Russia and the Middle East; Maserati also plans to introduce the Levante SUV next year, while Rolls-Royce is getting closer to making a decision on whether to enter the segment.
Lamborghini forecasts record global sales in 2015 because of strong demand for the recently launched Huracan. In 2013, Lamborghini delivered 2,121 supercars, up from 2,083 in 2012. The best ever sales year for the Italian brand was 2008 when it sold 2,430 supercars
By Dan Mihalascu
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