Going an Un-Traditional Route (Whilst Maintaining their Historic Rivalry)

Traditionally when lucky consumers owned a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, the usage of their chosen dream machine was to be a weekend car. Cars that only come out on special occasions, be that blasting around a track, (the Ferrari) or posing in a city center (the Lambo).

For daily usage such as taking the kids to school or going to work, the owners typically had a large and luxurious SUV, i.e. a Range Rover, a Mercedes G-Wagon, etc. However, over the last decade, SUVs have seen a surge in popularity. As a result, many luxury car makers have caught onto the fact and begun producing their own SUVs to increase profits.

In 2018, Lamborghini launched their large family SUV, the Urus and in 2023, Ferrari launched their large family SUV (or as they call it FUV), the Purosangue. Despite this, as always with the Prancing Horse and the Raging Bull, the cars themselves turned out to be very different.

Ferrari and Lamborghini have had one of the most infamous rivalries in the automotive sector for the last 60 years. And these two cars only increase that uniqueness and popularity with buyers. But the big question is, which one is better? Not just as an SUV but in the spirit of what the manufacturer is known for.

Well today, we at F1rstMotors will recommend our personal choice between the FUV from Maranello or the Audi Q8 that’s been beefed up in Bologna in a selection of categories and recommend what we think is the ultimate Italian supercar based-SUV.

Exterior Aesthetics and Engineering

Though both build some of the most desirable cars in the world, Lamborghini's and Ferrari’s approaches to design has always been different. Lamborghini opts for lunatic exteriors that grab attention immediately upon viewing, whilst Ferrari traditionally blends a more classic refined style with a hint of modernity. And with their SUVs that approach hasn’t changed.

With its swivel-eyed headlights and silly louvers all around, the Urus could have only come from the maddest supercar maker of them all. However, that being said, it isn’t quite as lunatic as most traditional Lambos. That’s because, underneath its swivel-eyed body, it isn’t one.

Lamborghini is owned by Audi, part of the Volkswagen group and when designing the Urus, they borrowed a lot of components from Volkswagen’s Parts Bin. Its engine is from a Porsche Cayenne, its rear axle, all-wheel-drive system, and suspension is from a Bentley Bentayg, and the platform, interior trim, and 8-speed ZF Automatic gearbox are from an Audi Q8. In short, it's not really a Lamborghini at all.

Ferrari designers also wanted the Purosangue to capture that blend of classical modernity that all Ferraris have had. The whole car is much lower and more sleeker compared to the bulky Urus. But for that bit of Italian craze, it's fitted with suicide coach doors, similar to what you’d find on a Rolls-Royce.

And unlike the Lamborghini who are part of a major conglomerate, Ferrari, since leaving the Fiat Group in 2016, have been going it alone. So every component of the Purosangue is bespoke and isn’t shared with any other car that isn’t a part of Ferrari.

Its all-wheel-drive system is a modified version previously seen on the FF and GTC4lusso and its 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox is completely in-house. In terms of styling, it’s really down to whether you prefer classic or contemporary but you have to admire Ferrari for going alone in building their 4x4 contrasting Lambo which had a backdrop of support. Therefore in this category, the Italian Stallion wins.

Winner: Purosangue

Interior Trim, Practicality, and Usage

Even more important for any Luxury SUV exterior is its interior, because naturally, one will run a lot of miles when driving them. And in being so Germanic in its construction, the Urus’ interior is very well thought out and distributed. In fact, behind Rolls-Royce and Bentley, Lamborghini has arguably the best interiors of any luxury car brand.

In addition to having the controls and a touch screen that are easy to hand and a fighter jet-style stop-start button, the Urus also features enormous fighter jet-style levers for the drive select and the mode switches.

In addition, the rear seats can seat up to four adults, at 616L the boot is enormous and there are different modes such as Neve and Terra to deal with changing conditions. It implies that, like the Sterrato, the Urus can deal with strenuous conditions rather well.

The Purosangue’s interior is also rather much of an occasion. Unlike the Urus, everything isn’t as easy to fall to hand. All the controls are on the steering wheel so nothing is ever where you left it. And all these controls, annoyingly are touch-based, the most criminal of which is the starter button.

Starting a Ferrari should be an occasion, you want to feel that physical press as the engine burbles into life, not merely tap an image like you would on an iPad. In addition, there are two enormous screens, one for the passenger and one for the driver which can make life a bit uneasy.

In addition, the Purosangue is only available as a four-seater and isn’t quite as spacious as the Urus. To add to that, the boot is 467l and there are no off-road modes like in the Urus. As somewhere to sit then the Raging Bull wins, both from a styling perspective and a practical one.

Winner: Urus

Engines and Soundtracks

The biggest difference though between these supercar-based SUVs is in what’s found under the Bonnet. The Urus officially is the first Lamborghini-based product to use a turbocharged engine. In essence, it’s the same 4.0l twin-turbo V8 that’s found in the Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga and Audi RS6.

A certainly powerful engine undoubtedly, but not exactly an exciting one. Granted you get the odd pop and bang from the back, and Lambo has clearly made an effort to make the Urus sound better than all other cars that use this unit. But it’s still muted like any Turbo Engine for that matter, lacking the roar and rumble of a traditional Lambo.

You’d imagine Ferrari would go down a similar route and opt to use their 3.9l twin-turbo V8 that’s found in the Roma and the F8. Except bfor eing fully Italian instead of partially Italian, they decided to go a bit bonkers. So the Purosangue has the iconic 6.5l V12 that’s found in the 12Cilinidri.

What results are baleful screams and whines from one of the best engines in production right now? Granted, it doesn’t sound quite as pronounced as it does in an 812, but the experience that results is simply unmatched. A twin-turbo V8 is a solid unit make no mistake, but a 6.5l naturally aspirated V12, that’s not just an engine, it’s a living breathing heart. There’s no contest, here the Purosangue wins.

Winner: Purosangue

Horsepower and Weight

You’d imagine though that the Urus would make up for its loss in soundtrack through its excess in performance. Well the 4.0l twin-turbo V8 does put out an impressive 641 horsepower which is a lot. But the Purosangue’s V12 despite being detuned develops 715 horsepower, over 70 horsepower more.

Not only is the Purosangue more powerful, but thanks to the more aerodynamic proficient design and excess use of carbon fiber and aluminum it’s 200kg lighter. To be precise 2,033 kg in the Purosangue vs 2,200 kg in the Urus. Once again it’s the prancing horse that takes the victory.

Winner: Purosangue

Performance and Excitement

So more horsepower, less weight, a dual-clutch gearbox vs a ZF-automatic, there’s no surprise of what happens when both these cars go head to head. The Purosangue sprints from 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds, 0.3 of a second faster than the Urus 3.6. The Purosangue will hit 193mph whilst the Urus has a 4mph deficit of 189mph.

But it isn’t just the performance where Purosangue excels over the Urus. With a faster-shifting dual-clutch, a more RWD bias all-wheel-drive system, and the wail from its high-revving V12, the Purosangue is simply more exciting than the Urus. More lively and more energetic, more of that Ferrari magic. It easily wins this round too.

Winner: Purosangue

Cost of Buying and Depreciation

Now obviously being more unique, powerful, and bespoke you’d imagine the Purosangue to cost more than the Urus. And it does. Base model Urus which has a lot of kit as standard, starts from around $242,000, whilst the Purosangue starts from $400,000. And that’s before you tick the options list. In short, you could have two Urus’ for the price of one Purosangue.

But the biggest shock with both cars is not the price difference, but rather the value after. The Purosangue has only been out a year and already customers are facing severe depreciation. The Urus by comparison has been out for 6 years and customers are now only beginning to see depreciation. Therefore in a shocking turn of events, value for money, the Urus is the winner.

Winner: Urus

Is there any heritage?

Now there’s no denying that at the core, both manufacturers built these cars because of the global demand for luxury SUVs. However believe or not, one of them has a predecessor. Now, typically, Ferrari is a company that people love for its heritage whilst Lamborghini is one people love for their forthrightness.

So how shocked will you all be to learn Lambo are the ones with heritage in the SUV department and not Ferrari? Lamborghini had begun theorizing production of a large 4x4 in 1977, with the Cheetah and LM001 prototypes. And then in 1986, they bit the bullet and gave the world the LM002.

An enormous, four-wheel drive leviathan, with a 5.2l V12 from the Countach. It was as imposing to look at as it was impossible to drive and thirsty on its fuel gauge. Now the Urus is far removed from the LM002, but the fact is unlike most luxury supercar makers, Lambo clearly has experience in building high-riding SUVs. There’s no comparison here, the Urus wins.

Winner: Urus

Conclusion

So by a small margin of 4:3, the Prancing FUV has beaten the twin-turbo Bull. But in truth, it comes down to what you want from your large Italian-supercar-inspired SUV. For those wanting something exciting, unique, and exclusive, the Purosangue is in a class of its own. Not even a G-Wagon 6x6 will draw quite a crowd.

But for living with, buying, and using on a day-to-day basis, the Urus is superior. We at F1rstMotors, one day, will conduct a thorough road comparison of these supercar SUVs to truly determine which is best. Until then, let’s pause and think how the world has come to a place where the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin all build luxury SUVs. Frankly, the world has gone bonkers.

F1rstMotors: Urus vs Purosangue comparison

Manufacturer	Automobilli Lamborghini S.p.A	Ferrari S.p.A
Model	Urus	Purosangue
Year of Release	2018	2023
Engine	4.0l Twin–Turbo V8	6.5l V12
Horsepower	641hp	715hp
Torque	627 lb–ft	528 lb–ft
0–62mph (100km/h)	3.6 seconds	3.3 seconds
Top Speed	189mph (304 km/h)	193mph (311 km/h)
Weight	2,200 kg (2.2 tonnes)	2,033 kg (2.0 tonnes)
Power to Weight	291 hp per tonne	352 hp per tonne
Gearbox	8–speed ZF Automatic	8–speed Dual Clutch Transmission
Driven Wheels	All Wheel Drive	All Wheel Drive
Price	$242,000	$400,000

Source: Carwow