TURIN, Italy - Lamborghini has announced it will build a luxury SUV for launch in 2018 - the concept was presented as the Lamborghini Urus at the 2012 Beijing auto show.
It will be assembled at Lambo's Sant'Agata Bolognese factory in Bologna, Italy, with parent company Volkswagen investing millions of euros in the plant, increasing production and creating 500 jobs.
The new SUV project is a collaboration with the VW Group and the Italian government.
REMEMBER THE 'RAMBO LAMBO?'
The new SUV might share a platform with the Bentley Bentayga and the next Porsche Cayenne.
Lamborghini has only built one SUV model in the past, the LM002 (nicknamed the 'Rambo Lambo'), produced from 1986-93. Sales were poor, however - only 328.
The automaker hopes to build 3000 SUV a year; by comparison, in 2014 Lambo built 1400 Gallardos and Huracans and nearly 1200 Aventadors.
Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said: "This is a proud moment for everybody at Lamborghini. The introduction of a third model line endorses stable and sustainable growth of the company and signals the beginning of a new era for us.
MORE LUXURY SUV'S ON WAY
Many luxury automakers have been attracted by the strong growth in the global SUV market. In January 2015 Jaguar Land Rover said it would build its first Jaguar SUV at its plant in Solihull, England. That same month Maserati confirmed its new SUV, the Levante, would be launched in 2016.
In February 2015 Rolls-Royce, owned by BMW, also revealed plans for an SUV.
Earlier in 2015, spy photographers captured images of Bentley's Bentayga SUV in action on Germany's Nurburgring.