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Cleaning up its act, Lamborghini may put its first turbo engine in the Urus SUV

When it arrives in 2017, the Lamborghini Urus will have styling to match its supercar siblings, but it may have a different kind of engine under the hood.

The Urus could use a turbocharged V8 rather than a naturally-aspirated V10 or V12, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann told Auto Express at the launch of the 2015 Huracán LP610-4.

A turbocharged engine could be a first for Lamborghini, and it would help the Italian carmaker meet stricter global emissions standards. This same trend toward enforced efficiency fed rumors of plug-in hybrid and diesel powertrains for Urus as well, although the turbo V8 would be more in character for the brand.

Corporate cousin Audi already has a 4.0-liter, twin turbocharged V8 in its inventory, which makes 560 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque in the RS 7.

That seems like a pretty good fit, although Lambo may use the Audi engine as a jumping off point for its own version. After all, the V10s used in the Huracán and R8 are similar, but each manufacturer insists they are unique.

The Urus is also expected to share a platform with the next Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, and Volkswagen Tiguan. It wouldn’t surprising to find out that Bentley’s upcoming SUV draws from that gene pool as well.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
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