Ferrari Purosangue revealed as Prancing Horse’s first ‘SUV’

The subject of much speculation since the emergence of rumours and spy images two years ago, Ferrari, overnight, officially unveiled its first crossover/SUV in the shape of the all-new Purosangue.

Replacing the GTC4 Lusso, the predecessor of the FF, that bowed out in 2020, the Purosangue, unsurprisingly, won’t be called an SUV by the Prancing Horse or even a crossover.

Unlike key rivals, the Aston Martin DBX, Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus, Ferrari has opted not to put a bodystyle designation next to Purosangue’s name, classifying it instead as a GT with four-wheel-drive.

Its name confirmed in 2018 following official confirmation it would be entering the segment, and pronounced “poe-ru-sang-gwe”, meaning thoroughbred in Italian, the Purosangue also holds the distinction of being the first-ever four-door Ferrari in the brand’s 75 year history.

According to Maranello, it rates as the “encapsulation of the Prancing Horse’s iconic DNA”, therefore warranting the Purosangue moniker with ease.

Billed as a 2+2 and fitted with suicide opening rear doors, the Purosangue rides on a completely new platform designed specifically for it and shared with no other model in the Ferrari line-up.

Made entirely out of high-strength aluminium alloy, which compliments the aluminium and carbon fibre body shell, the Purosangue tips the scales at 2 033 kg, and boasts dimensions of 4 973 mm in overall length, a wheelbase of 3 018 mm, height of 1 589 mm and width of 2 028 mm.

Sporting 473-lites of boot space, accessed via the electric tailgate, the Purosangue’s styling takes inspiration not only from the GTC4 Lusso, but also the Roma, despite Ferrari maintaining it to be unique and original.

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Said to have been “conceived as a sculpture that showcases and heightens its stunning aerodynamic development”, the main talking point of the exterior is the mentioned rear doors, which open electrically at 79-degrees compared to the 63-degrees of the fronts.

Its hinge made out aluminium, the same material used for the tailgate that opens 73-degrees, the decision to opt for rear facing doors was said to have been from an ergonomic standout in addition to optimising space and keeping the wheelbase as compact as possible.

Aside from the doors, the Purosangue comes standard with a carbon fibre roof Ferrari says has almost the same rigidity levels as a glass roof, whilst being 20% lighter.

Standing 183 mm from the ground on 22-inch at the front and 23-inch at the rear alloy wheels, the Purosangue’s bespoke chassis and suspension incorporates a number of firsts never before offered on any Ferrari.

Fitted with the latest 8.0 Side Slip Control and brake-by-wire ABS derived from the 296 GTB and 296 GTS, the actual ABS controller, called ABS evo, is brand new, together with the Hill Descent Control, the control module of the Electronic Stability Control, and ratios for the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Using a developed version of the 4RM-S four-wheel-drive system the FF/GTC4 Lusso featured, the arrangement on the Purosangue receives a new electronic management system, independent four-wheel-steering from the 812 Competizione and torque vectoring on the front axle.

The biggest dynamic difference though is the suspension. A first on any Ferrari, it uses a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with input from Canadian firm Multimatic, who supplied the True Active Spool Valve dampers capable of lowering the ride height by 10 mm, in addition to adjusting the pitch and roll angles of the body.

Inside, the Purosangue’s interior takes inspiration from that of the SF90 Stradale, but with a district U-shaped dashboard design and lack of a central touchscreen infotainment system.

Instead, most of the functions are controlled via the 10.2-inch instrument cluster and on the steering wheel, with a supplementary display located on the passenger’s side.

Aside from the usual array of material options, the standard Burmester sound system – another Ferrari first – and heated seats, the Purosangue can additionally be specified with a new type of Alcantara made out of 68% recycled polyester

According to Ferrari, this aligns with the 85% sustainable material usage for the get-go, which carries over to the roofliner also made from recycled polyester and the mats made from recycled fishing nets recovered from the ocean.

As with any Ferrari though, the biggest attraction is the powerunit. While set to became available at a later stage with a hybrid, for now, motivation comes from Ferrari’s long-serving normally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 that fires 533kW/716Nm to all four corners via the mentioned dual-clutch gearbox.

Despite its weight, the Purosangue will still get from 0-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 10.6 seconds and reach a top speed of more than 310 km/h.

On sale in Europe more than likely before the end of the year, projected pricing kicks-off at a reported €390 000 (R6.7-million), with South Africa availability still to be confirmed.