When I got in the Urus SE, flipped up the red starter cover and pushed that button, the first thing I heard was nothing. The truck always starts in EV mode. A few clicks of the Anima lever got me into the go-fast modes you want to be in, and the V8 roared to life, greeting me with the familiar, bass-y burble that can be found in other VW Group products using this V8.
At first, the Urus was pretty serene, almost relaxing to drive. I mean, I had the massaging seats going and the climate control set just right. The air suspension was soaking up every bump as I cruised down the road. It’s a pleasant and relaxing place to be — far more so than any other vehicle Lamborghini has made thus far.
However, the second I clicked that little Anima lever again and stepped on the gas pedal, I had to hold on. The Urus SE does a mind-bogglingly good job at pushing the guts of everyone in the car further back into their bodies. The launch is ferocious, but so is the speed it carries past 60 mph. It’s a freight train put on this earth to eat miles and embarrass other purpose-built supercars. If I were braver and dumber, I could have gotten all the way to a top speed of 194 mph, but unfortunately for my haters, I’m not that brave or dumb.
The Urus SE is equally fast in corners, far more nimble than something this big that is meant to take the kids to school has any right to be. Body roll is kept to a minimum as the aforementioned air suspension stiffens up when the car is in its more aggressive modes.
Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik
My one qualm with how this car drove — and what reminded me most that it is indeed an Audi underneath — was how light the steering is. It’s an aggressive rack, for sure, and the rear-wheel steering system helps with tight corners and highway stability, but it is so astonishingly light that I constantly found myself steering too much and having to back off in the middle of a corner. Even in the Urus SE’s most aggressive Corsa mode, I was able to steer it with just one finger with very little resistance. That lightness also meant I didn’t feel a lot coming through the wheel, making the driving experience more isolated. I knew the front wheels were doing something. They were traveling over something. I just could not tell you exactly what that was, and neither could the car.
In reality, it’s not that big of a deal. The Urus SE is far better suited as a miles-eating Grand Tourer, and it’s perfect for the U.S. because of that. As I drove through the tight streets in and around Florence, Italy, I was abundantly aware that this thing was massive and very expensive. However, when I landed back in New Jersey and was able to test the car out on some bigger roads and highways, it all made a hell of a lot more sense and felt more at home. The Urus SE is far more “Sopranos” than The Godfather Part II.“
