Some people criticized Lamborghini for making a high-riding SUV type vehicle, claiming it wasn’t in the spirit of its decades-long history and that it diluted the brand. However, it is hard to deny the fact that they pulled it off pretty well, and the resulting Lambo Urus is now one of the most desirable SUVs money can buy.

Sure, some call it derivative and point to its shared VW group underpinnings, or that it looks a lot like the Audi Q8 (which it really actually does), but it still has plenty of its own character, and there really isn’t another vehicle like it currently on sale.

The automaker says they did it for “testing the unlimited versatility of the Urus Super SUV on roads, tracks, and the one-of-a-kind landscapes of Iceland,” but we know they did it in order to capture images and videos of the Urus on Iceland’s almost landscape which ranges from lush to lunar.

Basically, if you were looking for a Lambo Urus desktop background, you now have a wide selection to choose from, and most shots show the vehicle tackling unpaved roads, water splashes and, of course, snow.

The Urus has a specific driving mode for each: Strada (for street driving), Sport (which tightens everything up and improves drivetrain responsiveness), Corsa (most aggressive tarmac mode designed for the track), Sabbia (sand mode), Terra (for loose surfaces) and Neve (for snow). There was definitely reason to use all those modes in the varied conditions of Iceland, although Corsa mode was probably a bit overkill outside an actual racing track.

Lamborghini’s press blurbs and videos insist that it is actually a rugged vehicle that can take a beating and driving it vigorously seems to be encouraged off-road too - it is obviously not a rock crawler, and it doesn’t have the wading depth of a Land Rover Defender, but for something wearing a Lambo badge, it is more than admirable.

It looks like oodles of fun to throw the Urus around on loose surfaces with varying grip, making the most of its all-wheel-drive system with active torque vectoring and four-wheel steering to maintain control. Power is also plentiful in the Urus, thanks to its 4.0-liter V8 engine which pumps out 650 metric horsepower / 640 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and a whopping 850 Nm / 626 lb-ft of torque from just 2,250 rpm.

The manufacturer claims the Urus is able to sprint to 100 km/h or 62 mph in a very brisk 3.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 305 km/h or 189.5 mph - impressive for a vehicle that’s still good off-road, which according to the manufacturer has a “multi-faceted personality.” It also comes with standard carbon ceramic brakes and clever adaptive air suspension with active roll stabilization, just like a Bentley Bentayga or an Audi SQ7.

Lamborghini Urus performance and engine specs

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Lamborghini Urus.