Although the car is faster than the original model, unfortunately the software is not. The overall experience is a bit slow, especially when navigating the navigation system. Even the rain gauge on the digital instrument cluster doesn't change until well over half a second after you press the brake pedal, an unfortunate place for deceleration.
The Urus SE offers six driving modes: Strada (street), Sport, Corsa (track), Sabbia (sand), Terra (dirt) and Neve (snow). There's also a seventh, customizable Ego mode. As with previous Urus models, these modes must be selected in that order. So if you want to go from Sport back to Strada, you'll have to rotate the mode selector five times – or dig two submenus deep on the touchscreen.
These can be further adjusted via a pair of buttons added below the secondary drive mode lever on the right. The top button enables the standard Hybrid mode, where the petrol and electric powertrains work together as harmoniously as possible for normal driving. The second button goes to charging mode, which instructs the car to prioritize battery charging. The third and lowest button is in Performance mode, which allows you to get maximum performance from the hybrid system at the expense of charging.
Finally, a quick tug on the mode selector on the right drops the Urus into EV Drive.
Silent operation
I started my time in the Urus SE driving in the middle of the city, full of narrow streets, pedestrian-friendly speed limits and aggressively driven Fiats. Slow and steady is the safest way to go in these situations, so I was happy to test the Urus's all-electric mode.
Simply put: it delivers. There's virtually no drivetrain noise, a near-silent experience at lower speeds that helps alleviate the stress such situations can cause. The experience was somewhat spoiled by some tire noise, but I put that down to the Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2 tires fitted here. However, I can't blame the tires for some annoying creaking and rattling, which isn't exactly what I'd expect from an SUV at this price.
