Lamborghini Urus S Road Test: The less-than-raging bull

It’s no secret that the Lamborghini Urus is its brand’s most successful model ever if we’re going by sheer sales volume. The SUV’s been finding homes at a rate unlike any Lamborghini before it, which is something anyone could’ve seen coming when it launched here about seven-odd years ago – thanks for kickstarting the trend, Porsche.

Now, the launch of the Urus S and Urus Performante (the latter we’ve already reviewed) are finally giving original Urus owners an option to upgrade to. Its “S” nomenclature might sound like it’s a new trim level, but you’re better off thinking of it as representing the mid-cycle refresh of the Urus, as there is no simple “Urus” anymore. Your options are now either the S or the Performante. The SE plug-in hybrid will join the party eventually, but that’s not until the 2025 model year.

The list of “what’s new” is a short one, but the changes are some your neighbors might notice. For example, the S gets a new front end that’s less busy and simpler in nature with horizontal slats across the bumper/grille being the dominating pattern. It’s arguably a touch less obnoxious looking, though it’s the opposite around back. The new rear diffuser has more strakes, features a honeycomb garnish, and the rear bumper has some extra-spicy-looking vents that are integrated into the rear wheel surrounds. It’s an aggressive look and serves to visually widen the car’s stance. Nothing much changes along its sides, but a subtle “S” logo makes its way to the rocker panels to designate this Urus as the updated one. Designers didn’t take any chances, though would-be buyers can with a massively expanded selection of colors, wheels, style packages and material customization options. This extended level of choices carries into the interior, where Lamborghini touts a similar degree of individualization expansion.

Beyond the aesthetics, the Urus S enjoys the Performante’s revised 4.0-liter twin-turbo . Output stands at 657 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, amounting to a 16-pony increase over the previous Urus and a one-tenth reduction in the 0-62 mph time that now stands at 3.5 seconds. Its eight-speed automatic transmission carries over, so yes, this powertrain is still the same as seen in various Porsche/Audi/Bentleys. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it didn’t go to Lamborghini finishing school.

The exhaust for the Urus S is re-tuned, and Lamborghini says it has a “sharper note” in each drive mode along with a “more distinct” startup sound – we can attest to both claims being true. Its lack of drama was one beef we had prior to this update and it’s now hard to be mad about the Urus S’ volume. Sure, it sounds a lot like a Cayenne Turbo or Audi RS Q8 due to the powertrain sharing, but the Lambo has a little more bark and bite in the upper rev ranges than those mighty performance SUVs do. It isn’t much, but there’s at least some minor differentiation there, and you can even detect it when slowly moseying around town with far more aggressive bangs on the overrun. Lamborghinis are meant to be loud, and this one passes the decibel test, even if it’s nothing like the bananas V10 you’d find in a Huracan.

That supercar level of silly rawness in an SUV is something you’re only going to find in a Ferrari Purosangue, unfortunately. Lamborghini chose a far more civil path with its SUV, and that’s how the rest of the car plays out, too. Unlike the coil-spring suspension found in the Performante, the S retains the original car’s air suspension setup. Like everything else on this SUV platform, the Urus S rides impeccably well, gliding across poor pavement like a proper luxury car. It’s almost too comfortable at times, as you’ll easily forget you’re driving a Lamborghini given the Audi-like ride and isolation from the road. For anyone buying a Urus S as a daily driver, they’ll surely appreciate how friendly it can be in basic “Strada” mode.

Toggle the odd (and frankly annoying) drive mode switcher all the way to Corsa, and the Urus S’ personality turns on a dime. The fake noise is ramped up inside to a level that verges on annoying with the windows up. I’d highly recommend either using Corsa with the windows down or setting up the “EGO” (individual) mode to the most aggressive settings except for the powertrain, because the true exhaust note is genuinely sublime without all the pumped-in boominess.

The ride gets a touch choppier and more reactive in Corsa, but at no point does it become jarring. More importantly, its handling character is deeply improved, largely shrugging off the floaty feel of air suspension. The only other car on this platform that can come close to and beat the Urus for backroad prowess is the Cayenne Turbo GT. That’s as it should be. The Urus S cuts through a road with excess everything, be it grip, braking power or chassis composure. Its standard (and enormous) carbon ceramic brakes ensure you can utterly abuse them, and they barely break a sweat under demanding conditions. Considering the 4,843-pound dry curb weight, that’s a whole lot of Urus to bring to a stop.

If there was one thing this Urus S is missing, it’s a stronger Lamborghini personality. In so many ways, it drives and feels like a more extreme Audi RS Q8. The similarities in steering feel, power delivery, engine sound and more just never melt away to reveal a distinctly Lamborghini driving experience. For the daily driving duties, this level of refinement is appreciated. But if someone without experience in a Huracan or Aventador were to base their entire opinion on Lamborghini off the Urus, they’d completely miss the dynamic wild side of the brand. It’s not something Lamborghini can mend overnight, and frankly, it might not even be something worth pursuing. After all, what would make it a better “Lamborghini” would undoubtedly make it a worse daily driver.

Its Audi-ness extends deeply into the cabin, with design, tech, switchgear and more that make the Urus S a highly functional place to tackle the daily grind. The Audi stacked screen setup is just as snappy and nice to use as in various Audis. Same goes for the Lamborghini-fettled Audi Digital Cockpit instrument panel. Smooth animations, custom views, reliable wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and ample customization options abound within these screens. Plus, they work flawlessly without being frustrating! I can’t say the same for the Huracan’s Lambo-designed tech interface.

That’s the good. The ripped-straight-from-an-Audi steering wheel feels wrong to hold with a Lamborghini badge on it, even if it’s a damn nice steering wheel. I can say the same for all the borrowed Audi switchgear; the volume knob, center console controls, window switches, steering wheel stalks and more are all right from the Audi parts bin. They’re just as pleasing to use as they are in the donor cars, but this is still a Lamborghini that someone will shell out at least $100,000 more to buy than an Audi or Porsche because, in part at least, it’s not an Audi or Porsche. You buy a Lamborghini because you’ve fallen for its design and see value in standing out among the hyper-rich elite – doesn’t this parts bin cabin stand in conflict with that? Perhaps the best answer to that, however, is that the few Lamborghini-specific controls inside – the mode switch pull in particular – are the most annoying and unintuitive.

The financially prudent (using the term lightly here) will drive home in one of those “cheaper” Audi or Porsche equivalents. Before any options are added, the Urus S stickers at $233,263, including the wild $3,995 destination charge. Once the ludicrously expensive options are added up, the sticker lands at $310,682. Even trivial things like the Ambient Light Package are expensive at $3,194, so yes, I’m sure you can imagine how expensive it can get with some creativity in the configurator.

Just like every other Lamborghini purchase, though, it’s a decision you’re meant to make with your heart. I can’t say I’ve fallen for this particular Lambo, but its appeal stretches further than its base abilities. It draws eyes wherever you drive. The flip-up engine start button makes each trip that little bit more engaging. Of course, it’s just plain cool to have a Lamborghini as your “get-around” car. And ideally, it’s the winter sled alongside a V10- or V12-powered monster in the garage for when you really want to raise your pulse.