A super-SUV to look forward to in 2018

With its new Urus model, Lamborghini has elevated the SUV to new heights.

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Land Rover used to claim that it made "The best 4X4 by far".It looks like that title now belongs to Lamborghini, says James Mills in The Sunday Times. The SUV, or sports utility vehicle, was invented for those who wanted Land Rover-type vehicles more for ferrying the family to school than rounding up sheep. Now, with its new Urus model, Lamborghini has elevated the SUV to new heights call it an SSUV, or super-sports utility vehicle. The Urus is due to go on sale in the spring of 2018, with a starting price tag of £165,000 more than Bentley's Bentayga.

It's not a car for making understated progress, says Dan Trent in The Daily Telegraph. But since when have Lamborghini owners wanted that? The Italian car maker has followed Porsche's lead, with its all-conquering Cayenne model, and tried to translate sports-car styling to an SUV-sized car. The result is all "sharp nose, blade-like surface detailing and pumped-up proportions" that give the car the look of a "jacked-up Huracn bursting with aggression".

It's not all mouth either: the 4.0-litre V8 engine delivers 641bhp and powers the car to a claimed top speed of 190mph; the 0-62mph sprint time is just 3.6 seconds. It should be pretty handy off-road too, with a range of driving modes to tailor the transmission system to the terrain at hand.

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If you're thinking of buying one, you'd be well advised to save up more than just the starting price, says Stephen Dobbie in Top Gear. Not just so you can go wild with the options list, but so you can buy the Urus's own designated shoes and jacket to match. To match your new super SUV, try a pair of Enzo Bonaf moccasins, some Tecknomonster carbon-fibre luggage or an elegant suede jacket by Hettabretz. Don't buy if you're aim is to blend in, however. Like the car itself, the branding is "bold".

Stuart Watkins
Comment editor, MoneyWeek

Stuart graduated from the University of Leeds with an honours degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, and from Bath Spa University College with a postgraduate diploma in creative writing. 

He started his career in journalism working on newspapers and magazines for the medical profession before joining MoneyWeek shortly after its first issue appeared in November 2000. He has worked for the magazine ever since, and is now the comment editor. 

He has long had an interest in political economy and philosophy and writes occasional think pieces on this theme for the magazine, as well as a weekly round up of the best blogs in finance. 

His work has appeared in The Lancet and The Idler and in numerous other small-press and online publications.