Once known as being the barbed wire tattoo of supercar manufacturers, the Lamborghini Revuelto shows that the automaker does know how to do refined and is moving in that direction for its future.
Revuelto is a step in Lamborghini’s electrification journey, a waypoint. But, it’s a Lamborghini through and through.
That starts with its looks. Lamborghini has an advantage here. Its cars are already optimized for aerodynamics and you can be easily forgiven if you’re not able to tell them apart at a passing glance. Revuelto blends in instead of standing out. But, it’s still a Lambo.
Hopping in the cabin reveals an environment that is more refined than Lamborghini cars of the past. It is sophisticated in the leather-forward specifications that the automaker provided for review, only cheapened by the small infotainment touchscreen at the center.
Small buttons and dials on the steering wheel control most of what you need to adjust while behind the wheel. Even though the time behind the wheel was short, it didn’t take long to adjust to the locations of the controls and eyes didn’t have to be removed from the road to switch settings en route.
Automobili Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini
And I changed settings often, not just to test out the different levels of prowess that the car offered, but to ensure that the small towns I drove through on a journey around the Borscht Belt in Upstate New York weren’t blasted by roaring exhaust noise and their potholes were easily navigable despite the car’s low ground clearance.
The long, sweeping roads allowed scenic views of miles of America’s green forests and rivers, while providing the perfect playground for the plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The key difference between the electric, hybrid, and gasoline power options, besides the noise, is immediately apparent upon takeoff. When the Revuelto is under Performance mode, unleashing all its power, is a formidable, quick beast. When running as a hybrid, it is less so. Switch to the battery-only mode and acceleration is quelled.
This makes sense from an engineering standpoint. Limiting the strain on the battery from demand lessens the rate at which the battery drains and makes the overall drive experience more efficient.
But, the question is, are Lamborghini owners ready to sacrifice the thrust?
Automobili Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini
To be clear, Revuelto has enough power in any mode to more than satisfy. But, when battery-electric vehicles from Tesla and Porsche provide a more satisfying punch, it’s more difficult to argue the merits of the power allocation equation.
Like other Lamborghini cars, Revuelto eats up the pavement and provides tremendous behind-the-wheel joy. Its steering is agile and as effortless as one would hope making operations from parking to navigating tight spaces as easy as finding the perfect line to carve around a long, sweeping Catskills mountain corner.
It is not just great to drive, it’s also a comfortable place to spend a day. The seat ergonomics and plushness (though it’s still quote clearly a sport seat), make it comfortable for hours at a time.
Those in the Revuelto’s two seats also benefit from a softer ride quality than other Lamborghinis offer, delivering a more palatable experience on rural roads where broken pavement is a norm, unlike the company’s more track-ready vehicles. It’s not marshmallow soft, but for a daily driver sports car, it’s a major improvement akin to what you’d get if you bought a Porsche Taycan model, for example.
Automobili Lamborghini
The plug-in hybrid has another benefit for passengers. The use of the electric powertrain means that, for the first time outside of an Urus, passengers are able to talk amongst themselves without having to shout over the roar of the engine.
In Lamborghini’s quest to try out new technology, the company has included a screen on the dashboard in front of the passenger. Why? Besides, “because we could,” there seems to be no reason. It doesn’t really serve a purpose, only offering up the same information as what is in the instrument cluster.
When driving, the size and location of that screen is not a distraction. But, the main infotainment screen has its challenges, with its overall lack of responsiveness chief among them. Nearly three hours behind the wheel and I was still unable to figure out how to pair my phone to listen to music without supplementing my efforts with assistance.
Adjusting the climate controls with the screen is a tedious and precise process that nearly has one begging for a physical knob. Better yet, just get a better screen, Lamborghini.
Those troubles, however, are few compared to what other supercars offer. It doesn’t have the out-of-the-gate issues McLaren’s Artura plug-in hybrid had and forward visibility is much better.
At the Revuelto’s price point (staring MSRP of $604,363, as tested at $744,958 with the Gas Guzzler Tax and destination fee included) there’s little competition for buyer dollars from one automaker to the next. They’re competing against a client’s next yacht purchase or private jet upgrade.
Automobili Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini
The newest Lamborghini is worth a test drive, even if you’re not all about efficiency. Where the all-electric mode thrives is in neighborhood and city driving (and sitting), which allows time spent behind the wheel on open roads to be left open for gasoline-powered, heart-racing action.
That action recharges the battery, a cycle that keeps Lamborghini Revuelto owners friendly with their neighbors while delivering the satisfaction Lambo buyers have come to expect.