It turns out we were right to take it with a grain of salt as Lamborghini CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, told British magazine Autocar that the Italian maker would give the green light to a four-door saloon inspired by the Estoque concept car.
Set to get its first public airing at the Beijing motor show in late April, the new SUV/crossover will extend the current Lamborghini lineup, joining the successor to today's Gallardo and the recently introduced Aventador in what will at least be a three model lineup beginning in 2016.
The expectation is that a 197-inch-long four-seater will go on sale with a detuned version of the Gallardo's 5.2-liter V-10, developing about 580 hp. Also envisaged is a hybrid version with four-wheel drive. It is said to combine the standard V-10 with a 107-hp (80-kilowatt) electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack, providing a system combined output of somewhere near 660 hp.
The new Lamborghini SUV/crossover is expected to share its underpinnings with the next-generation Audi Q7, which is also set to provide the platform for a new Bentley off-roader. The so-called MLB architecture will, in short-wheelbase form, also sit beneath successors to today's Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg.
The future MLB structure is planned to undergo a dramatic weight-reduction program, with Ingolstadt officials suggesting savings of up to 880 pounds for the Q7 through the use of added aluminum and carbon fiber. The high-tech construction will be picked up by Lamborghini to ensure that its new SUV/crossover comes in at less than 4,400 pounds.
For a proper Lamborghini SUV, the Audi Q5 platform would be too small, a V8 engine ot noble enough and the £100,000 (US $156,080) price tag a tad low. That’s why we didn't put much credence in the rumor.
Posted by , Published at Monday, April 23, 2012 and have
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