It was back in April 2012 when Lamborghini introduced the Urus concept, but it wasn’t until about three years later when a production model was announced. When Sant’Agata Bolognese’s SUV received the stamp of approval, the Volkswagen-owned brand made the promise to create 500 jobs necessary to handle production of its third model.
Now, Lamborghini says an extra 200 people are going to be hired to work at a new paint facility that will be up and running at full capacity towards the end of next year. The new plant responsible for painting the Urus’ high-riding body will extend over more than 10,000 square meters and will increase the footprint of the firm’s production facilities in Italy to a total of more than 160,000 m2.
Gallery: Lamborghini Urus Nurburgring Spy Photos
While some have mixed feelings about whether Lamborghini should do an SUV or not, we can all agree that a total of 700 new jobs is good news. Lamborghini CEO, Stefano Domenicali, recently said production of the Urus is set to commence in 2018 and the plan is to make about 1,000 units that year, with as many as 3,500 or even more to roll off the assembly line in 2019 depending on demand.
At the heart of the new Urus will be a biturbo 4.0-litre V8 engine developing 650 horsepower, which will be joined around the second half of 2019 by a plug-in hybrid version representing the brand’s first electrified road-going model.
Gallery: Lamborghini promises Urus will be fastest, most powerful SUV ever
Sales of the Urus are scheduled to commence in Europe in the second quarter of 2018 with an estimated starting price of around £135,000.
As to when we’ll actually get to see the SUV in production guise, Lamborghini could decide to unveil it before the end of this year, quite possibly at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Source: Lamborghini
Gallery: Lamborghini factory expansion for Urus SUV production
AUTOMOBILI LAMBORGHINI: PAINT PLANT FOR THE URUS SUV CONFIRMED AT SANT’AGATA BOLOGNESE
- The new facility will be operational by the end of 2018
- The building will cover more than 10,000 sqm
- Up to 200 new job hires once the full plant production capacity is reached
Sant'Agata Bolognese, 22 May 2017 – Automobili Lamborghini continues development of its production site, announcing construction of a paint plant. The new building will be completed by the end of 2018 and will be used to paint the body of the Urus SUV, which is scheduled to arrive on the market next year.
The paint plant will extend over more than 10,000 square meters, further expanding the production site, which will extend from the 150,000 sqm, envisaged and reached up by end of 2017, to a total of more than 160,000 sqm of covered area.
The new paint facility will also impact favorably in terms of human resources: approximately 200 new hires will be made by the time the plant reaches full production capacity, adding to 500 jobs created due to the third Lamborghini model.
Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lamborghini, remarked: "We are very pleased with this result, which represents another step on our path of strategic expansion. Thanks to the support and faith of our shareholder AUDI AG, a decision was taken that most effectively safeguards our know-how, job growth in the territory, and brand identity."
The new plant will benefit from the most advanced technological systems with low environmental impact. A staff of highly-skilled workers will guarantee the highest standards of quality on products characterized by a high level of customization.
The confirmation was favored by a recent organizational agreement made between the company and the union regarding the system of work shifts, aimed at making expansion highly attractive in terms of competitiveness and cost control.