MILAN — Lamborghini revealed a new high-performance hybrid version of its best-selling Urus SUV Wednesday, calling the vehicle the fastest super SUV in the world and cementing the Italian automaker's strategic bet on plug-in hybrid technology over the all-electric future it briefly considered before abandoning earlier this year.

The Urus SE Performante is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle combining a 4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 gasoline engine with an electric motor to produce 812 horsepower and approximately 738 foot-pounds of torque. Lamborghini says the combination accelerates from zero to 100 kilometers per hour, roughly equivalent to zero to 60 miles per hour, in 3.3 seconds and achieves a top speed of 312 kilometers per hour, or 194 miles per hour, figures the company says justify its "fastest super SUV" claim.

Lamborghini Chief Executive Stephan Winkelmann framed the new model as a defining moment for the brand.

"It is very important. It's a game changer," Winkelmann told CNBC in an interview accompanying the reveal.

The Performante designation signals that this is not simply a refreshed Urus with modest upgrades but a more aggressive, track-informed variant of the vehicle. The exterior reflects that intent, with a larger grille and hood scoops that distinguish it visually from the standard Urus SE lineup, alongside interior improvements that Lamborghini said will be detailed closer to the vehicle's U.S. market arrival. The company declined to specify pricing for the Performante at this stage, pointing to closer alignment with the American market launch as the appropriate moment for that disclosure.........

© International Business Times