We don’t need to break this to you gently because the Lamborghini Urus is still a legitimate raging bull of a vehicle that will delight even the most ardent of high-performance SUV skeptics: Moving into 2025, Lamborghini has embraced plug-in hybrid power for its high-performance SUV. The new-for-2025 Lamborghini Urus SE can start up and drive off in a stealthy electric mode with a Lamborghini-quoted 37 miles of range. That electric power also aids the twin-turbo V8 when it fires up to deliver a total of 789 horsepower to all four wheels.

For those still unconvinced, the Urus S and Urus Performante continue as gas-only SUVs for the 2025 model year, but then they’ll be gone. The Urus SE is a glimpse into Lamborghini’s future, and it looks just as wild as ever.

What’s Changed For This Model Year?

The SE trim is new to the Urus lineup for 2025 and, as well as the new hybrid powertrain, comes with some cosmetic and aerodynamic-based exterior changes along with tech updates and a slightly updated interior. However, before getting too excited about the power update, the SE’s zero to sixty time is 3.4 seconds. That’s 0.2 seconds slower than the standard Urus and 0.3 seconds slower than the Performante model.

Exterior Design: Updates And Options

From the side, the Lamborghini Urus still looks more like a stretched hot hatchback then a low-slung SUV. According to Lamborghini, the SE has a new floating hood, which means the front of the hood is longer and the grill is lifted so there’s no longer a body panel line. The bumper is well disguised, so the front looks like it’s all grille and air ducts, with the sides lifted higher towards the new and standard LED Matrix adaptive headlights. Now, the front end looks meaner and like it’s prepared to suck up anything in front of it.

Lamborghini is embracing the idea of spaceships on the outside of its new cars, and harking back to the iconic Countach while also infusing callbacks to other legendary Lambos. The new headlights are styled to remind us of the bull logo’s tail while the rear lights have Y-style lighting details inspired by the Gallardo. At the back, you’ll also notice that the tailgate sports a more pronounced center crease than before and an updated spoiler and diffuser.

The exterior of our test model shows just how much you can add to the base price of $258,636. The stunning Blu Uranus paint is $13,384, the upgrade from 21- to 23-inch wheels costs $5,837, the black brake calipers are $1,314, the high-gloss black style package adds $3,752, the panoramic roof adds $3,354. Strap in, though, because the wiper blades with integrated nozzles add $884, the black tailpipe tips $921, sunblinds package for the rear windows $1,713, and hands-free tailgate $860.

Interior: Carrying On The Cliché

Lamborghini does not do minimalism. Sit in the front of the Urus, and you’re treated to three screens and a lot of geometric shapes. On the center console, there’s a chunky cluster of three pull switches for drive select and drive modes, which also houses the completely unnecessary red flip cover for the start button. The design motif is jet fighter cockpit, which was cool in the 1970s and 1980s, only cool for teenagers in the 1990s, and just a cliché now.

Once you’ve rolled your eyes at that, you’ve got to follow the Lamborghini way of starting and driving a car, which is to flip the red cover to press start, pull the right paddle to put it into drive, use the drive switch for reverse, and when you park, do your best to remember that there’s a little park button next to the drive lever. Toggling both paddle shifters at the same time puts it in neutral.

Unlike a real jet fighter, the seats are beautifully covered and stitched if you go for the Sportivo Leather Interior as optioned on our tester for $6,082 – optional contrast stitching is $939 further. Our tester also had the full electric front seats option ticked for $3,381, and finding the perfect driving position took seconds. Forward and side visibility is excellent, but the view using the rearview mirror isn’t ideal for spotting lurking cops when you want to enjoy the power on offer. This is a car that will benefit from a digital rearview.

In the back, you can choose from a bench seat to fit three people or bucket seats. Either way, there’s enough legroom for a couple of adults and, surprisingly, enough headroom for taller adults. Choose the bucket seats, though, and rear cargo space drops from 22 cubic feet to 20. Speaking of cargo space, our tester was fitted with the Cargo Management System for $657, and it’s worth every penny to stop bags sliding around and organizing properly.

Infotainment & Usability: Reworking A Classic

There’s no hiding that the Urus’ infotainment is a reworked take on Audi’s system using the 12.3-inch instrument cluster, 12.3-inch main screen, and a separate screen for environmental controls. Mostly, the system is crisp and intuitive, although there are small issues with finding things that should be simple and top layer – like turning off lane keep assist in a performance car. The gauge cluster is, dare we say it, prettier and feels more useful than the Audi RS Q8’s take, and telemetry system is excellent, albeit more of a novelty outside the track.

Powertrain & Driving: Nothing Left On The Table

The Lamborghini Urus starts in electric mode as the default and is good for, as far as we can tell, around 20 miles of silent operation. However, opt for non-silent operation, and the twin-turbo V8 fires up to deliver its aggressive rumble and creates a total of 789 hp and 701 lb-ft of torque. In EV mode, the Urus is happy to roam around quietly with the adaptable suspension soaking up the road to create a lovely, peaceful ride. In Strada (street) mode, the Urus starts to come to life and is ready to hustle. Again, Strada mode can be a nice docile setting for getting around, but the sound and response is sitting there, waiting to be urged on.

There are five basic drive modes (Anima in Lamborghini speak) selectable on the left of the drive lever, consisting of Strada, Sport, and Corsa for the road. Our loan came with conditions of no off-roading whatsoever, so we didn’t get to play with Neva, Sabbia, and Terra, which is a shame as Johnson Valley and its dry lake bed was calling. EV mode stands alone, but the driver can also engage the hybrid systems Performance or Recharge mode. Combine modes, and there’s a total of 11 available.

In reality, Strada is enough to impress, or terrify, a passenger on a back road. When kicked, the engine is forceful and the chassis wants to haul you through corners with little drama and much pace. Switch to Sport, though, and the Urus starts to become ferocious. The suspension toughens up, throttle response tightens, the exhaust growls, driver aids are less keen to jump in, and the back end suddenly wants to rotate.

Where the back was previously glued to the tarmac, the new centrally located electric torque vectoring system loosens the rear to aid turn in and create on-demand oversteer – yet it remains incredibly controllable, feeling like the multiple systems are able to anticipate intention and set things up accordingly. Corsa amps everything up with the track in mind, but we found ourselves more than entertained and with a supercar amount of confidence on the road.

The overall tuning and cohesiveness of the Urus SE’s chassis is damn near sublime, but the exhaust sound is the icing on the cake. It growls, it booms, it winds up into a howl, and pops and crackles as it winds down. If we had a CarBuzz Award for exhaust sounds, we would be handing it reverentially to whoever invented that. Audi needs to take some notes for the RS Q8. Meanwhile, the transmission does an amazing job of being forgotten about because it’s always hitting at the right moment in Sport mode and settling down to always be in the right place in Strada.

We only had a few days with the Urus SE, but it didn’t take long for it to make absolute sense. In Sport mode, feeding in throttle out of a corner is smooth and more linear than remembered from the non-hybrid RS Q8. It’s an SUV, so there’s weight, but it’s factored into the equation and doesn’t feel like it’s hampering the chassis. The brakes, carbon ceramic as standard, deserve to be called anchors – after all, many clichés are clichés for a reason. The suspension is its own revelation as the chassis stays flat but lumps and bumps in the road aren’t allowed to distract from driving. Then, it’s back to being an attentive cruiser behind a couple of slowpokes leading the way back into the city. Then, EV mode is the cherry on top with enough for short, quiet trips across town or to work and back.

Verdict & Pricing: Too Good To Ignore

The Urus is built on the same platform as the Audi Q8 and Porsche Cayenne, but the Urus SE separates itself in a way you wouldn’t expect from Lamborghini. Like the RS Q8 and Cayenne Turbo GT, the Lamborghini Urus has its own personality, full of the supercar maker’s drama and bombast. The pleasant surprise with the Urus SE is that it has all of that exuberance and wild performance, but its default mode is not just that it’s calm and civilized, but that it’s calm and civilized in a sophisticated manner.

However, the Urus SE commands one hell of a price. For $258,636, you could, as an alternative, buy yourself an Audi RS Q8 Performance for the weekend and a modest Porsche Cayenne as a runabout car and not stop smiling about the pairing. However, the Lamborghini Urus SE is the most multi-talented and daily drivable super-SUV on the market. Its ability to go from a perfectly civilized luxury ride to doing things on a back road no SUV has the right to be able to is breathtaking.