Thankfully, the boys in Maranello (and Turin) are one group that won't stand for brand dilution. In a conversation with Automotive News Europe, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said that Ferrari will not build an SUV or a luxury sedan. In other words, Ferrari will be Ferrari, manufacturer of high-performance GTs, sports cars, convertibles and race cars.

Marchionne made it clear that maintaining the integrating of the Prancing Horse supersedes any perceived need to boost volume, explaining: "The uniqueness of that brand cannot be minimized and so we are very, very careful."

Though rumors of a Ferrari SUV haven't been particularly loud in recent years, this year's introduction of the Maserati Kubang, as well as Ferrari's first all-wheel-drive system on the FF, may have had some wondering whether a big brother crossover was in the works. It's good to hear a definitive "no."

The news also gives us more respect for the Maserati Kubang, which may come to be called Cinqueporte. A Maserati SUV didn't necessarily sound enticing at first, but the model is representative of Maserati's role in competing against competitors like Porsche, Bentley and Aston Martin in the luxury sports segment.

That keeps Ferrari free to play in "its own box" and pursue a pure sports car agenda. And all is right with the world. At least the Ferrari world.

Built with Italian design for an intended U.S. military contract, the Lamborghini LM002 was and remains an unprecedented departure from the brand's sleek and stylish supercar ethos. The Lamborghini Urus, the brand's second SUV, is much less so.

In fact, it's intended to be the supercar of SUVs, and with a 600-horsepower engine under the hood, it's off to a good start. Add to that the permanent all-wheel drive (another trait shared with all but one of Lamborghini's modern supercars), extensive use of carbon fiber, and a low-slung, streamlined, and sharply aggressive body, and the Urus looks as much like its supercar stablemates as the LM002 differed.

Beyond the power output, design, and some size specs, few other precise specs have been revealed as yet; the Urus is, after all, still a concept, though almost a certainty for production. Lamborghini thinks the Urus, likely to target a lower price point than the Gallardo and Aventador, while offering daily-driver utility, will sell up to 3,000 units per year, more than doubling the brand's current volume. Most of the sales will happen in the U.S., Russia, Middle East, and China, plus the U.K. and Germany.

Despite the massive power output, Lamborghini says the Urus will deliver the lowest CO2 emissions of all comparable super-SUVs (the BMW X5 M and X6 M, Porsche Cayenne Turbo, and Range Rover Sport Supercharged chief among them). It takes aim at that target with a low height, lightweight materials, and streamlined design. Huge 24-inch wheels wrapped in equally gigantic rubber provide the grip for the big Urus.

The lightweight materials are perhaps the most interesting aspect of the mix, with a forged carbon composite playing a leading role, though carbon fiber can be found in the body panels, structure, and interior as well. Adaptive aerodynamics balance ground clearance, high-speed stability, and efficiency as well, with adjustable front and rear spoilers responding to the driving conditions. Forged Composite material is used to make the center tunnel, all four seat buckets, and most of the interior structure.

As for the name--Urus--it is taken from a form of the name for the aurochs, the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. Though the aurochs is extinct, its genes live on in one form or other in many of the Spanish fighting bulls from which Lamborghini typically chooses its model names.

Standing 5.4 feet tall, 6.5 feet wide, and 16.4 feet long, the Urus SUV is compact and low, but still stands large compared to the low-slung supercars that share the badge.

Speaking at its unveiling at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show today, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said there was no decision taken to launch a production version yet but the automaker sees it as a perfect match for the rest of its lineup.

Lamborghini's long-awaited SUV model, the Urus, won't arrive until at least 2017 – if at all -- the company's chief executive has revealed.

We've heard rumblings before that Volkswagen, the parent company of Lamborghini, was considering shelving the Urus project amid Europe's financial crisis, but now we have word from Lamborghini's top executive that the company's SUV plans could be on an indefinite hold.

“The Urus isn’t an immediate priority and won’t happen until 2017 at the earliest, if the board decides to sign it off,” Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann told Auto Express.

He added: “To be honest, we don’t need it right now, as we have plenty of new cars available that are selling well and will continue to sell well.”

Designed as a higher-end alternative to vehicles like the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne, the Urus is reportedly slated to ride on a version of VW's MLB architecture, which will also underpin the next-generation Audi Q7 SUV. Lamborghini has never indicated what motor might power the Urus, but has stated that the SUV would boast about 600 horsepower.

If the Urus is ultimately given the green light, production would likely be capped at about 3,000 units, with the high-performance SUV commanding at least $ 200,000.

Lamborghini Is Officially Making This Gorgeous SUV

Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Motor Authority | May 14, 2013, 12:35 PM

Whether you’re a fan or not, you had better get used to seeing a Lamborghini-badged SUV in your neck of the woods as a production version of 2012’s Urus SUV concept has been given the green light.

Lamborghini made the announcement at its 50th anniversary celebratory event in Italy last week.

The sharp-edged Urus was first shown at the Beijing Auto Show a year ago and within a month of its reveal there was talk of a production version. However, the ongoing economic crisis in Europe had Lamborghini’s bosses worried and a final decision put on hold.

It looks like circumstances have changed, as it was also revealed at last week’s 50th anniversary celebration that development of the new SUV remains on schedule.

The SUV is to share a platform with the next-generation Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg. This same platform, a variation of the Volkswagen Group’s MLB, will also be used for Bentley’s planned SUV, though production of this model hasn’t been made official just yet.

To extract the performance one would expect of a Lamborghini from this SUV platform, engineers are expected to use lighter carbon fiber in place of some of the steel and aluminum sections. One of these sections is believed to be a T-shaped structure extending from the central tunnel to the rear suspension hinging points.

Peak output will also likely be higher in the Lambo than in the other VW Group SUVs, with most reports suggesting about 600 horsepower. The standard powertrain is expected to be a twin-turbocharged V-8 though a plug-in hybrid has also been touted.

The Urus is Lamborghini’s long-awaited re-entrance into the SUV market. It’s also the perfect representation of its 55-year journey from seller of mad things with an allergy to ergonomics, to an ultra-modern supercar manufacturer with the quality, reliability and business sense of Audi.

Few would argue the latter is a bad thing when it spawns a family of supercars that you can actually see out of and start on the button every time… but the big fat question here is, is a spacious, high-riding, five-seater family SUV pushing the Germanic sensibleness too far?

Let’s start with the way it looks. No doubt you made your mind up within seconds of seeing it, but hopefully we can agree on one thing: of the Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga and Audi Q7 bunch with which it shares its steel and aluminium MLB platform, it’s not pug-ugly like the Bentley, and has more presence than the other two put together.

In the interim five-and-a-half years since we saw the Urus concept, it’s become a little larger, rounder and wider of arse, but the overall shape is surprisingly faithful. There’s the same arrowhead bonnet shut line, but beneath that there’s a lot more going on.

Layer upon layer of mesh, intakes and splitters with a cycloptic sensor housing parked in the middle of it. You’ll notice the yellow car here is maximum jazzy – fortunately, more subdued specs, like the grey car with mostly blacked-out elements, are available. Around the back, the concept’s tailpipes have dropped, but the small rear windscreen and full-width tail-light have survived. From this angle, perhaps more so than the front, it’s instantly a Lamborghini.

But the Urus’s real trick is to combine a downward-sloping, BMW X6-esque roofline, which keeps things pinched and muscular around the rear wheelarch, with masses of interior space. We’re talking six-footer behind a six-footer with a good chunk of leg- and headroom to spare. It also has a 600-litre boot – enough for a grown man to climb in on all fours and do a convincing impression of a large dog. A point we prove right here, in our walkaround video.

Big wheels (21-inch as standard, up to 23-inch if you must) and edgier styling than its rivals isn’t enough to earn the Lamborghini badge. For that, it must possess a vicious turn of speed, which is where 641bhp, 627lb ft of torque (available from 2,250rpm), 0–62mph in 3.6 seconds and 190mph flat out come into play.

Before you start Googling furiously, the 707bhp Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk also takes 3.6secs, but that’s from 0-60mph, and it trails by 10mph at the top end. That makes the 2.2-tonne Urus officially the fastest SUV out there. Frankly, we’d be perturbed if it wasn’t.

Where mild perturbing might occur is under the bonnet. You won’t find a highly strung, naturally aspirated V10 or V12 on loan from the Huracán or Aventador, but a version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 from the Bentley Continental GT and Audi RS6, connected to an eight-speed auto and redlining at 6,800rpm.

If you can get over the fact that it’s more likely to woofle and rumble than bark and shriek, it’s actually a far better fit for an off-roader – offering more torque at lower rpm. And yes, you can take your Urus off-road should you wish.

The V8’s other trick is being the most fuel-efficient engine ever in a Lamborghini (22.2mpg, 290g/km CO2) thanks in part to a cylinder-deactivation system that works below 3,000rpm and gives you 173lb ft to work with. That’s right, tickle the throttle and you’ll find yourself driving a four-cylinder Lamborghini with less torque than a diesel Ford Fiesta.

But let’s not be churlish. It’s a familiar and brilliant engine ably supported by all the weight-cloaking chassis aids Lambo could lay its hands on. Firstly, the standard torque split is 40/60 front/rear (up to 70 per cent can be sent to the front, or 87 per cent to the rear as and when the conditions dictate), with active torque-vectoring from front to back axles, and between the rear tyres, via centre and rear differentials.

Long story short: on loose surfaces, it’ll power oversteer, but on tarmac it should stick. And stop, thanks to standard carbon-ceramic brakes – 440mm rotors at the front, 370mm at the rear – currently the largest on any production car.

Adaptive dampers work alongside an electromechanical active roll stabilisation system. It’s basically the same set-up that’s already left us stunned in the Bentayga and SQ7 – compliant in a straight line, magically flat in the corners. And then there’s the performance tech du jour, four-wheel steering, which twists the rear tyres by plus or minus three degrees, effectively shortening the wheelbase by 600mm at low speeds (by turning in the opposite direction to the fronts), or lengthening it by 600mm at higher speeds (by turning in parallel to the fronts).

Getting the thing started, moving and in your mode of choice is done via a bank of industrial-sized levers. In the centre, the start button lurks beneath a flip-up cover, itself in the shadow of a palm-sized gear-selector. To the left of that is your Anima lever, used to toggle through the four standard modes: Strada, Sport, Corsa and Neve (snow), plus two optional modes: Terra (off-road) and Sabbia (sand) if you genuinely want to get grubby.

Each tweaks the diffs, sound, steering, suspension, throttle and gearbox response, and raises (Neve, Terra, Sabbia) or lowers (Sport, Corsa) the air suspension accordingly. Alternatively, you can set your ideal combo of ride, steering and powertrain with the Ego switch on the right.

Assume the driving position and, although physically high, you feel low, snuggled below the shoulder line. WE set about looking for some ergonomic nightmare – a lorry-sized blind spot, tortuous seats, razor-sharp trim gaps – alas, there are none to be found. The skin of this interior is very much Lamborghini – all hexagons and Alcantara – but the hardware and execution is pure Audi. Right down to the twin screen (triple if you count the instrument cluster) infotainment system lifted wholesale from the new A8.

Unusually then, this is a Lamborghini, tech-wise, allowed to sit above its Bentley and Audi cousins. An indication of just how crucial this car is for the long-term health of the company, and how badly the VW Group wants it to succeed.

Inside and out, it’s an impressive engineering achievement, especially from a relative minnow that sold just under 3,500 cars in 2016, although Lamborghini hopes to double that with the £165,000 Urus by 2019. Picking over the spec sheet and poking around the interior is all well and good, but this is a Lamborghini and therefore needs some Lambo DNA in its bones. Can it really be both – a family van with the heart of supercar?