Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann finally confirmed that the company will expand its lineup by adding a new crossover SUV due sometime in 2018. As yet unnamed but based on the Lamborghini Urus Concept unveiled at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, this new model will be assembled in the automaker’s Sant’Agata Bolognese factory. Currently home to Lamborghini’s Aventador and Huracan supercars, the operation is set to nearly double in size, adding a dedicated production line, an enlarged R&D department and enhanced warehousing space as well as roughly 500 additional employees. Winkelmann characterized the decision to invest several hundred million over the lifecycle of this product as "demonstrating our commitment to safeguarding the values of ‘Made in Italy’ worldwide."
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Constructed largely of carbon fiber, the original Urus Concept featured a hybrid powertrain that matches a turbocharged V10 engine with an electric motor located in its transmission casing. It’s believed the production version of this striking go-anywhere Lambo will be more aluminum intensive and share a good deal of its platform with another member of the Volkswagen Group’s premium luxury brand contingent, the upcoming Bentley Bentayga. In addition to a range-topping twin-turbo V12 model, Bentley‘s ultra-lux on/off-roader will offer both twin-turbo V8 and hybrid plug-in configurations along with a sophisticated AWD system. We’ll have to wait to see what Lamborghini finally decides for its more performance-oriented version aimed at buyers in the USA, China, the Middle East, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom.
