Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann has hinted that a turbocharged V8 may make its way under the hood of the company’s upcoming Urus SUV.
“An SUV could be a turbo engine for the first time for us,” the chief executive told Auto Express.
The move would be part of a broader strategy to help the company meet international emissions regulations, while also reducing platform costs through a shared powertrain.
The Urus is expected to be built upon Volkswagen Group’s MLB platform, which will also underpin the next-generation Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. A turbocharged V8 is therefore viewed as a more natural fit, rather than opting for a V10.
Lamborghini chief designer Felipo Perini cautioned that particular design elements are “changing all the time,” though the current plan is said to be very close to the concept.
“The Urus is amazing, the way it moves,” he said. “Our goal is to preserve this with the production car.”
The company is currently aiming to begin rolling the production version off assembly lines sometime in 2017.