Lamborghini Urus delivers a "whole new level of business"

It might be the most controversial model in the Lamborghini stable, but the Urus SUV has been praised for delivering a huge sales boost for the Italian brand.

What Lamborghini describes as a "super SUV", the 2197kg Urus has a top speed of 305km/h and can clip 100km/h in 3.6 seconds. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine pumps out 478kW and 850Nm, and marks the first time the Raging Bull has used turbocharging on one of its engines.

Despite the staggering performance figures, Lamborghini's decision to focus on an SUV was initially met with howls of protests from the brand's global fans, with many questioning if a high-rider deserved a place in the supercar brand's line-up.

But Lamborghini was one of the few bright spots to appear on Audi AG's Annual Press Conference agenda, with German executives praising the Urus for delivering a "whole new level of business" for the fabled marque.

"Lamborghini Urus has had a positive impact on revenue," says Audi's finance chief, Alexander Seitz.

"Our subsidiary...achieved a whole new level of business with the market launch of the Urus Super SUV: 51 percent more deliveries and 41 percent more revenue than last year.

"More than two thirds of Urus buyers are new customers for Lamborghini."

The arrival of the angular-styled Urus coincides with a record year for Lamborghini, with 5,750 cars sold worldwide, up 51 per cent on 2017.

And while all models were on the up, the arrival of the new Urus delivered the biggest uplift, with 1761 vehicles sold, despite only arriving in July 2018.

If those figures were to continue for a full 12 months, it would make the Urus the brand's best-selling vehicle by some margin. The Aventador, for example, moved 1173 units in 2012, while the Huracán delivered 2,780 sales.

"(Last year) was a super year for Lamborghini. The Urus had a huge impact," Seitz says.

Was Lamborghini right to build an SUV? Tell us in the comments below.