Ferrari has made an SUV.

Seems odd to say that, but here we are. The iconic Italian sportscar manufacturer unwrapped its latest creation last month, revealing a serious contender to the models its supercar-making rivals – think the Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan etc – have been championing for the past few years.

Called the Purosangue (apparently meaning ‘thoroughbred’), the all-wheel-drive SUV is, as one might expect from Ferrari, a beautifully designed luxury vehicle with a mountain of muscle under the bonnet.

Power comes via a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 that delivers up to 716Nm and 533kW through an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, a set-up enabling the Purosangue to hit 100km/h in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 310km/h.

The power suits the styling, which screams performance. Sleek and potent-looking, the Purosangue also has rear ‘suicide’ doors – doors that are hinged at the back – which are a pretty cool feature, and on the inside, driver and passengers are enclosed in an elegant, luxurious cabin. There are four separate and independently adjustable seats and up front there’s a digital display set-up similar to other recent Ferrari models, including a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster. Top-notch materials – including leather and carbon fibre – are used for the trim.

Designed from scratch, the Purosangue has plenty of lightweight materials in its construction – including aluminium and carbon fibre – plus high-strength steel, and there’s a single-shell carbon fibre roof with integrated soundproofing. That roof is optional, and also available is a full-length electrochromic glass roof that can have its tint adjusted.

There’s active suspension technology; a new generation front suspension set-up; torque vectoring; new electronic management system; Side Slip Control that manages traction control, stability control and other features; and an array of driver assistance (ADAS) features that includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Brake System, Auto High Beam, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Traffic Sign Recognition, Driver Drowsiness and Attention, and more. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard.

While pricing has not been revealed, expect to pay a decent wedge (reports suggest something well north of $AU500,000) to get your hands on a Purosangue. That’s a lot of money for sure, but owning the first Ferrari SUV would be quite something.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (October 2022) 

18 October 2022