Few issues in the automotive sphere have garnered as much interest and speculation as Lamborghini’s intention to produce an SUV. After much to-and-fro in the press, it now seems that a Lamborghini SUV will emerge soon.
Speculation surrounding a successor to Lamborghini’s LM002 (aka the “Rambo Lambo”) have been doing the rounds for some time, bit it was the above renderings recently spotted in Italian motoring publication Quattroruote that set tongues wagging again. Initial contact with a senior company spokesman yielded a denial that an SUV or an Estoque-based luxury saloon were in the pipeline, but now commentary from a senior manager at Lamborghini’s sister brand Audi has shed some more light on the matter.
This unnamed source was quoted in a report by Autonews to have given the following answer when quizzed about an LM002 successor:
"I can't comment in detail but the speculation in the press is largely correct."
It’s not yet been confirmed whether the new model will take the form of a terrain-conquering SUV in a similar vein to the LM002 or a more town-biased crossover, but it will reportedly make an appearance in concept form at the Beijing motor show in April.
The SUV will reportedly measure five metres in length and will be underpinned by a revised version of the Volkswagen Group’s MLB/MLP – a modular platform that has already been earmarked for the next iterations of the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and VW Touareg. The styling is still open to a great deal of speculation, although given the sleek profiles of its performance brethren the SUV is likely to sport a rakish roofline similar to that of the BMW X6.
The powerplant is similarly subject to speculation, with many considering the 5,2-litre V10 from the Gallardo a likely candidate – let’s face it, an SUV model is a big enough leap for Lamborghini so a diesel would really be pushing it…