Lamborghini SUV Concept Unveiled!
Posted on April 5, 2012



Yesterday I went to New York to attend the unveiling of the new SUV concept from Lamborghini. The presentation of the product was excellent and it was a beautiful glimpse into what we can expect to come from our favorite super sports car manufacturer in the future. The car was presented to dealers and will be publicly unveiled at the Beijing motor show so pictures will abound then.

The pictures that we saw circulate a few months ago were not far off.
The wheels are very different and the line running through the door is more pronounced. The front fender vent runs more completely into the rocker and the line along the lower half of the doors is much cleaner and fits the general lines of the car better. There is more of a kink in the roof to hatch transition and there are two active spoilers on the roof and below the rear glass. The tail lights are separated by a black panel with large Lamborghini lettering. The exhaust exits are within the rear diffuser panel rather than cut into the body as in that picture. Here are some more highlights.

• Fastback design similar to an X6
• 4 seat setup with high rear center console
• 24″ wheels with carbon spoke accents
• Carbon Ceramic Brakes
• Aventador styled front and roof architecture
• High shoulder line, shorter than anything else in segment
• Great ground clearance with carbon rockers, diffuser, and front splitter
• Forged carbon interior
• Seats similar to Sesto Elemento concept
• Aventador styled dash
• 4 squared exhaust exits
• LED front and rear lights
• Camera system for rear view mirrors
• The concept is painted a gorgeous metallic red (lighter than Rosso Efesto) with an Avorio Lilium interior
• Longer wheelbase than Cayenne, similar to Q7
• Great light transitions on all panels
• Large rear door, should be easy access for larger passengers
• Muscular trophy truck style design

I was thoroughly impressed with the car. It is not a direct reincarnation of the LM002 but it is a time crossover concept that very appropriately inserts Lamborghini into the daily driver/first car market. This is more of a trophy truck idea than a grizzly SUV. The car looks like something that I would really enjoy driving on a regular basis and find very useful. Who knows, it could even be the replacement for the Megan-Mobile!

This is truly a concept, aimed at testing the waters and measuring the public response to the car. They are not committing to build it and if they do it will be 2-3 years before it would come to market. It would likely follow the Gallardo replacement. They were eager for our input on pricing and my expectation is that the car would come in with a base MSRP around $175-180k and end up between $195-210k with options. That obviously occupies a different space than a Cayenne Turbo, an Autobiography Range Rover, or an X6M but that makes sense. This is more than a Cayenne with an Aventador face. It is a new car on a new platform that opens up a complete new audience to the Lamborghini product.

No news conclusively on what engine or transmission the car would have but the expectation would be that the car would come with the new V10 from the Gallardo replacement. My preference for the transmission would be to source a 6 speed automatic from Audi because it would fit the general expectation of how the car might drive and avoid the early Quattroporte Transmission issues. It would not be surprising to see a TT V8 eventually released for better fuel economy. I would expect horsepower to be between 550-600 bhp.

I think that is a very exciting addition to the super cars that we love from Lamborghini. I cannot wait to see it become a reality.