VW Delays Decision on Lamborghini Crossover

Volkswagen AG will delay for at least a few months a decision to allow its Lamborghini unit to build a production version of the Urus crossover concept it unveiled at the Beijing auto show in April.

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann tells reporters in Italy there's no rush, since the vehicle isn't penciled in for production until 2017. In the meantime, he says, coping with Europe's financial crisis and slumping car market is more important.

The four-passenger, all-wheel-drive Urus is equipped with a 600-hp engine. Lamborghini has estimated it could sell at least 3,000 of the super-crossovers per year 75% of them in China and North America.

If produced, the Urus would ride on the platform being developed for VW's next-generation Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and VW Touareg crossovers, all of which are due in 2014.