BMW XM vs Lamborghini Urus Performante: V8 SUV showdown

It’s been a year now since we first reviewed the BMW XM, and it’s finally lined up against the Lamborghini Urus Performante to see if this V8 plug-in hybrid holds its own in a drag race.

As well as the Lambo, we’ve also got a Mercedes-AMG G63 and an Audi SQ8. You may notice there’s a R missing from the front of that badge; we’ll explain all shortly. For now let’s take a closer look at today’s competitors.

In today’s drag race we have:

1. BMW XM
2. Lamborghini Urus Performante
3. Audi SQ8
4. Mercedes-AMG G63

1. BMW XM

Mat’s behind the wheel of the XM today, and he’s piloting a hefty lump of metal. This SUV tips the scales at 2,785kg, so why is it so heavy? Well that would be thanks to the complicated hybrid system.

Under the bonnet is a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 paired to an electric motor, and combined they make 653hp and 800Nm of torque. Decent numbers, and this isn;t even the more powerful Label Red version. Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

2. Lamborghini Urus Performante

So how does the Lambo stack up? Well it has a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 with 666hp and 850Nm of torque, and it’s a great deal lighter than the BMW as well at 2,150kg. It has a seven-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive.

On paper then this should be a cakewalk for the Urus, but in our experience this car can struggle to get off the line quickly. With a wet runway today, the driver of the Lamborghini will have to nail the launch.

3. Audi SQ8

We can hear all you Audi fans smashing your keyboards right now – why didn’t we get an RS Q8? Well we’ve had a look through the SQ8’s previous quarter mile times, and this race should be a lot closer than you’d think. We’ve also gone for this car because we don’t have the Label Red XM, so we’ll save the RS Q8 to go against that car.

You’ll have to watch the video to find out just how close it is. The Audi is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 putting out 507hp and 770Nm of torque, sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The Audi weighs 2,240kg.

4. Mercedes-AMG G63

Finally then we have the Mercedes-AMG G63. Under the bonnet of this brick-shaped SUV is a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 with 585hp and 850Nm of torque paired to a nine-speed automatic gearbox.

In a strange turn of event, this is a lineup where the G Wagon isn’t the heaviest car here. It comes in at 2,550kg, so it’s still pretty porky and it’s down on power compared to the BMW XM.

So then, how will the XM get on against these other V8 SUVs? Check out the video to find out.

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