Lamborghini Urus production appears to have encountered a major hitch, as the Italian carmaker said that geopolitical issues in the Middle East and world economy concerns may force it to hold back the manufacture and release of the upcoming SUV.
Speaking to Autocar, a Lamborghini executive explained the variables behind the Urus SUV’s apparent pushback. “We are convinced the Urus can significantly boost global sales, but the financial conditions need to be sound,” said the official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity. “Right now, there are signs we may be heading for a downturn in the markets due to various factors, including trouble in the Middle East.” Even then, the official added that development on the Urus is still all systems go, and that the vehicle will eventually enter production in the future.
Even without Lamborghini’s concerns, the Urus would have been a few years off as a best-case scenario. Last year, reports stated that Lamborghini was making good time in the vehicle’s development, and that the Urus was still on track to be released in 2017. Additionally, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said this year that the Urus SUV may be Lambo’s first turbo eight-powered vehicle, in contrast to its usual offerings with V10 or V12 engines. Still, there appears to be a better chance that the Urus would run on a normally aspirated V10 or V12, possibly the 5.2-liter V10 under the hood of the Huracan.