Uber-luxurious SUVs are selling like hotcakes within the high-end auto industry.
But if you’d said a decade ago that Ferrari would create a sport utility vehicle many sports car enthusiasts would have said that day would never come. The words Ferrari and SUV just didn’t belong in the same sentence, right?
Wrong.
Here it comes! The Ferrari Purosangue, which is Italian for “pure blood” is slated to begin production in 2022 and begin deliveries soon after.
Here’s what we know so far about the Ferrari Purosangue:
It will be fast.
The Italian automaker’s first SUV is powered by a V12 – and there’s a hybrid version that combines a V8 with an electric motor. Two fully electric models are also in development and will hit the market in coming years.
The driving experience is ah-mazing
“I’ve driven it several times in the hills of Maranello,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told the media recently. “And I can testify that the driving experience is really astonishing.” In fact, he said it will exceed all expectations.
It’s long and sleek
Ferrari has not unveiled much about what the Purosangue will look like or what it will cost. But early, heavily camouflaged photographs of the car suggest the all-wheel drive vehicle is long and sleek. In fact, thanks to its raised ride height it seems to look more like a glamorous GT cruiser than an SUV. Featuring a long bonnet and swept greenhouse, the folks at Maranello are calling it a Ferrari Utility Vehicle.
It will be all about you, the driver
Being a Ferrari, it’s all about you, the driver, and your driving experience. Expect a driver-focused layout in the cockpit. It also has room for four adults and a generous cargo bay. And it’s filled with high-end leathers as well as sporty carbon-fiber trim.
The exterior is still a bit of a mystery
No detailed photos have been released. But according to the Motor1 website it will likely have quad exhaust tips. “We also believe the production-ready SUV will have larger wheels, but the rest of the vehicle is seemingly the finished product.”LED daytime running lights have also been spied and seem to be positioned above chunky air intakes, according to the website.
To recap, here are the big features you might want to know about:
- The Ferrari SUV will ride on a new front mid-engine architecture with support for all-wheel drive.
- Purosangue has a dual-clutch gearbox, air suspension, and hybrid powertrains.
- The four-seat interior will accommodate a rear-seat entertainment system and there’s rumors a flagship V12 will join electrified V6 and V8 engines.
According to CNBC, the Ferrari SUV comes at just the right time.
News reports suggest Ferrari had a strong fourth quarter last year, a spike that was caused by massive wealth creation during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Italian company delivered a record 11,155 cars in 2021, up 22 percent from 2020. Now, its order book is “the strongest ever,” stretching into 2023, the company said.
Along with releasing the new SUV, Ferrari is also gearing up for the shift to electric vehicles.
The Italian automaker aims to be carbon neutral by 2030 and is developing a range of hybrid and electric models to move it in that direction.
Its first fully electric vehicle is due for release in 2025. The Italian automaker launched the V-8 hybrid SF90 Stradalein 2019. Most recently, the company unveiled the 296 GTB with a plug-in V-6 powertrain.
“It’s important that we look and see how new technologies can help our brand,” Vigna told the media. “For sure, the digital technologies, Web 3.0 and using the blockchain and NFTs is an area that can be interesting for us.”
