The Power of Singles

Single women in particular are coveted potential buyers: From 2010 to 2015, premium small SUVs saw a 177-percent jump in sales to single women, according to MaritzCX, a customer-experience research company. More than two-thirds of female buyers reported their 2015 vehicle purchase decision as “entirely up to me,” according to the report. Additional storage and passenger space, a high ride height, and improved fuel economy in new premium SUVs have fed their growing appeal to women buyers.

“Lamborghini is going in the right direction here,” Pedraza said, noting the success of Porsche and its wildly popular Cayenne SUV. “Anybody can be convinced, as long as there is substance to the argument. If Lamborghini puts out a product that is female-friendly, women will definitely flock to it and will change their minds.”

The key to success in this new segment for Lamborghini, Pedraza said, will be to produce a product that women can use comfortably and often. (“If you are going to do an SUV, you better understand that there will likely be children in the back; women transport kids, whether they are working mothers or not.”) The brand will have to get women into the showroom and then communicate the quality of the product: “When women get to the showroom, the people who are ambassadors to the brand and the experience have to be impeccable,” he said. “It all has to be seamless and honest and relevant—and by the way, human. If it can do that, I believe Lamborghini has a great shot.”

Hiring and promoting more women to lead the drive will be essential. Representatives from Lamborghini said on Tuesday that they were unaware of how many, if any, women the company employs in top leadership positions; a quick survey of head executives on the company's press website offered no female names apart from that of the new American public relations executive.

This will entail revolutionary thinking at the 53-year-old brand, which started out making tractors in an industrial center in rural Italy. Domenicali said he's more than up to the challenge.

“We have a small company, but we know we can do a good job,” he said. “And we are humble—it’s a different customer, a different car, a different network. We are top with regard to the super sports car, but this will be a different business.”

Keep the Good Stuff

Lamborghini does have some non-negotiable stipulations, even with the new, softer-side efforts. It will always make its signature V12 engine, Domenicali said. And while it will eventually introduce a hybrid Urus, it will never move toward producing vehicles that run on diesel. A totally electric Urus is a “maybe,” Domeniali said, depending on how technology and regulations develop over the coming years.

After all, a bull is still a bull, even if it’s a gentle one.

“Our customers want to feel the car, they want to hear it, they want to feel the vibration of the engine,” Domenicali said. “They are expecting from us to be current with our cars and yes, to invest in technology, but at the right moment—not before and not after.”