This is the Aznom Palladium – a ‘hyper-limousine’ designed and manufactured in Italy.

Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder, and while the Palladium’s unique styling and beefy presence certainly makes it stand out in the luxury SUV segment, whether you’d want to be seen in one or not is a matter of taste. Either way, there are some nifty features here that give it some extra spice beyond its looks.

On the inside, the Palladium is completely covered (ceiling included) with Foglizzo leather, there are two independent air conditioning systems for the front and rear passengers, and a touch display on the driver’s door panel allowing for control of the interior lights, air conditioning, on-board refrigerator, the opening and closing of all drawers and compartments, the curious slide-out boot, as well as the windows and doors. A handmade clock is available in the lower central position at the rear which can be removed and become a piece of home furniture, and Aznom provides a full set of luggage, manufactured with the same leather and stitching as the vehicle’s interior.

For the passengers in the rear, there are even two Microsoft Surface X PRO tablet computers!

That is all very nice, of course, but equally important is what is pushing all this luxury along.

For that job, the Palladium has a 5.7-litre V8 biturbo delivering 530kW and 950 Nm of torque. There’s an optional eTorque mild-hybrid system that can be installed and paired to the engine. Top speed is limited to 210km/h and the 100km/h sprint time is good, with the chunky beast reaching it in 4.5 seconds.

The braking system features 408 x 34 mm ventilated discs with 6 piston Brembo GT calipers at the front. The rear brakes feature smaller discs, 380 x 28 mm with 4 piston calipers. The parking brake is electronic. 22-inch wheels are solid aluminium and an original Anzom design, and are fitted with Yokohama Advan Sport 285/45ZR22 tyres.

When the engine is started, the Palladium is rear-wheel drive, but the driver can switch to four-wheel drive through mode selection. An electronic automatic locking differential splits the torque between the forward and rear axles to maximise traction on each wheel. The system also allows the driver to lock or unlock the differential manually.

That interesting body is made of high resistance steel with certain details made of aluminium in order to reduce weight. The bonnet and roof are carbon fibre while both forward and rear bumpers are made of composite materials. On the rear section of the chassis’ frame, there’s a steel cage to help improve torsional stiffness.

The Palladium comes with a suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems including Advance Brake Assist, Hill Descent Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind-stop Monitoring and Park Assist. Several cameras combine for a 360-degree view.

It’s all very modern and what you’d expect from a top-of-the-line luxury machine. But would you want to be seen driving one . . . or be seen being driven in one? You’d certainly be the centre of attention. And maybe that’s the point.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (December 2020 / January 2021).

6 January 2021