Lamborghini Urus vs. Tesla Model Y: Which Is Faster?

• It's all in the launch control
• Our Model Y finally has a worthy SUV challenger
• The result, depending on your perspective, is a win for everyone

Our 2020 Tesla Model Y Performance has a nearly perfect record when it comes to drag races. Left in its electric wake are brawny performers including the Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk, BMW X3 M, Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S, Porsche Taycan and, yes, even a Ford Shelby GT500. The only vehicle the Model Y has lost to is a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette.

But now it has a new challenger: the 2021 Lamborghini Urus. If any SUV is going to out-accelerate our Model Y in a drag race, it had better well be a Lamborghini. But on the other hand, we've experienced some pretty big upsets during real-world conditions — see the aforementioned GT500. So what happens when these two face off? Watch the video to find out.

The lineup

The similarities between these two SUVs end after the basics of their respective configurations: four doors, all-wheel drive and rapid acceleration. After that, the differences are stark.

This appropriately attention-grabbing Urus features Verde Mantis paint, which we figure is Italian for "Kermit the Frog Green." For its $295,751 as-tested price (destination included), the Urus comes with so many features and amenities that it makes you wonder if they'd all fit in the bed of an imaginary Lambo truck. For the purposes of this drag race, the chief highlight is its 641-horsepower turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that's connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Our Tesla is plain in comparison. The Model Y Performance set us back $68,700, and it's simply painted "red." It has two electric motors, one for the front axle and one for the rear axle. Tesla doesn't say how much horsepower the Tesla Model Y has, but previous drag races lead us to believe that its output is nothing short of satisfactory.

Take you out to launch

The contrasts between these two SUVs continue through the drag race. In the Tesla, you just stomp the go-pedal when you're ready. Getting the Lambo SUV ready to race requires pulling the satisfying drive mode lever down to Corsa and holding both the brake and gas pedals. The engine grows louder, and the graphics in the digital instrument cluster proudly show off the prodigious horsepower and torque figures the engine is generating.

The Lamborghini leaps off the line with impressive velocity. The difference between its launch and the Model Y's is just shocking, especially considering the ferocity usually attributed to the Model Y's initial acceleration. The Lamborghini appears to make most of its advantage during the initial part of the run. The gap between the two grows, yes, but slowly. The Tesla just hangs in the Lamborghini's sideview mirrors.

It's a different result during the roll-on race, where both vehicles start the race while already moving at 40 mph. After nailing the gas in the Lamborghini Urus, you're met with a sizable delay as the turbochargers fill the engine with air. While this is happening, the Tesla Model Y starts moving forward. To be sure, the Urus' power and gearing advantage mean it eventually reels in the Model Y, but those first few moments are difficult to watch from the Urus' driver's seat

Lab results

The data from our test track mirror the results from the drag race. There, the Lamborghini Urus accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds (3.0 seconds with a 1-foot rollout) and passes the quarter-mile in 11.4 seconds at 118.6 mph. The Tesla's 0-60 sprint is slower, at 3.7 seconds (3.4 seconds with a 1-foot rollout), as is the quarter-mile result, at 11.8 seconds at 115.6 mph.

Both of these quick SUVs post identical results in our simulated emergency 60-0 mph braking test, at 108 feet, but it's a different story on our 200-foot skidpad. The Tesla Model Y's 0.95 lateral g average is excellent for an SUV, but the Lamborghini Urus pips it with a 1.03 g average. That's what you expect from super serious sports cars.

Edmunds says

Surprise, surprise, a Lamborghini is quicker than an all-electric Tesla in a straight line. But not by much, and that likely makes each of these SUVs a winner depending on your perspective. To read more, check out our SUV rankings and our EV rankings.