Lamborghini developing Urus while still awaiting green light

While much of the focus for Lamborghini at the Paris Motor Show was on its new strategy for the Gallardo line using styling cues to differentiate the rear-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive and Superleggeria models, the Italian automaker is continuing development of its Urus SUV, even though it has not yet gotten final approval yet.

Stephan Winkelmann, the firm's CEO and president, confirmed to Autoblog that he is confident the project will be approved by the VW Group, but has not yet received the final blessing and says much depends on the whether or not there will be a new architecture to underpin the vehicle. However, the fact that Porsche showed the Panamera Sport Turismo concept demonstrates that there is enough flexibility in that platform to perhaps support the Lamborghini concept.

Even if the go ahead is granted soon, Winkelmann doesn't expect the Urus to be ready for sale until 2017. In the meantime, the company is aggressively pursuing the new Gallardo strategy and promises to have its successor that goes beyond the current facelift ready by 2014. Next year, Lamborghini will busy itself with building the 20 Sesto Elemento carbon-fibre-intensive models as well as celebrating the company's 50th anniversary.