The New Lamborghini Urus SUV Will Have a Dedicated Off-Road Mode for Sand Dunes

Like with many in this new class of high performance, uber-expensive SUVs, most owners of the upcoming 2018 Lamborghini Urus will never take their six-figure truck off road. That hasn't stopped Lamborghini from dropping a new trailer showcasing the Urus's multi-terrain driving modes—and what it can do when faced with a mountain-sized sand dune.

As with most things, the idea of being able to venture off the beaten path is more important to a lot of buyers than actually doing so. That's why Porsche made such a big show of its off-road testing while developing the 2018 Cayenne, and it's why Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali has reiterated multiple times that the Urus SUV will definitely be able to hold its own in the dirt. Or sand, as it were.

The brief video shows a preproduction Urus rocketing around a barren desert landscape somewhere in the Middle East (surprise), carving deep tracks in the sand as it bounces over dunes and pulls off some pretty sweet donuts. We don't have any specs on the truck yet, but it's rumored to use a permanent all-wheel-drive system.

The video also gives us a quick look at the pre-set terrain modes drivers will use to maximize traction and handling no matter what's under the wheels. Though this trailer obviously highlights the "Sabbia" (Sand) mode, there's also Sport mode, Strada (Street), Corsa (Track), Terra (Land), and Neve (Snow). We also get a split-second look at Lamborghini's four-wheel-steering system—which was first introduced on the Aventador S last year—in action.

The December 4th reveal of the Lamborghini Urus is a big deal for Sant'Agata Bolognese. It's the company's first SUV since the "Rambo-Lambo" LM002 of the late Eighties and early Nineties; and with buyers continuing to snap up SUVs at eye-popping rates, Lamborghini built a whole new factory and plans to double their entire annual production to 7,000 vehicles on the back of the Urus. It's rumored to launch with a 650-horsepower, twin-turbo V-8 under the hood, though a hybrid will eventually be offered—another first for Lamborghini.