Lamborghini's plug-in hybrid sport utility vehicle gets a performance hike while retaining comfort and utility

Regular readers will know my disdain for plug-in hybrids. The concept just does not make much sense, except perhaps to naive regulators.

- Christopher Tan

Plug-in hybrids—as their name implies—need to be plugged in for charging regularly if their manufacturers' efficiency claims are to be realised. In fact, they need to be plugged in far more frequently than full-electric cars because of their smallish batteries.

If they are not plugged in regularly, they will rely solely on their combustion engine, which has to lug the extra weight of the electric motor and battery. And if they are fully charged, their electric motor has to lug the weight of the combustion system.

Hence, these cars often end up with worse efficiency than the conventional petrol-electric hybrids from brands such as Toyota, Honda and Hyundai.

But not everything in the motoring realm hinges solely on efficiency. In sports cars, the plug-in hybrid technology has given rise to superb driving machines. The Ferrari 296 GTB is one example I recall with special fondness.

The Lamborghini Urus SE is another. Like in the 296 GTB, the Urus SE's hybrid system is tuned first for performance, while efficiency takes a back seat. And it shows the moment you squeeze the throttle.

With a combined output of about 790hp, it has 20 per cent more ponies than the non-hybrid Urus S—the beefiest Urus until now.

So, despite weighing 308kg more at 2,505kg, the SE attains a top speed of 312kmh, versus the 305kmh of the S. The century sprint is completed in 3.4 seconds, versus the 3.5 seconds of the S.

But it is the creamy delivery of torque which makes the SE an absolute gem on Singapore roads. Assisted by an electric motor incorporated in its transmission, the Lambo's twin-turbo V8 churns out 950Nm of torque from 1,750rpm to 5,570rpm.