Ferrari Purosangue, this is the Italian SUV detailed by its technical chief

The Ferrari Purosangue, better known as the luxury SUV from the Cavallino Rampante, will arrive in 2022 and will become the direct rival of the Lamborghini Urus, which has achieved such strong sales figures for the bullfighting brand. The Maranello SUV could feature a mid-front engine, and everything points to it having plug-in hybrid versions linked to the V12 and V6 powertrains.

The Italian brand is speeding up development of its long-awaited SUV, which will push the company in a completely new direction for comfort, interior design, space and drivetrain technology.

Because it will arrive in 2022 and has been developed under the code name Purosangue, which translates as ‘thoroughbred’, Ferrari’s luxury SUV promises to be like no other performance or ultra-luxury SUV on the market, thanks to a unique positioning against the Aston Martin DBX, the Bentley Bentayga, the Lamborghini Urus and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

The SUV, also known internally as ‘175‘, is one of the 15 new Ferrari models announced last year and will launch in 2023. They will be built on two bespoke architectures offering two distinct model lines: one for mid-engined supercars, such as the forthcoming Ferrari F8 Tributo, and the other for front-mid-engined GT-style models, including the new SUV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y12f7NxFgkw&t=2s

Purosangue, this is how the first SUV from the Cavallino Rampante will be

“I am convinced of this car and of the technical concept,” said Ferrari’s technical director, Michael Leiters, in an exclusive interview. “I believe we have found a concept and a package that is, on the one hand, a real SUV that will convince SUV customers to buy it, but on the other hand there is a great conceptual differentiation from existing SUVs.”

That concept is based on Ferrari’s ability to combine a bespoke architecture, unlike one shared within a wider group, such as the MLB platform derived from the Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7 used by the Bentley Bentayga and the Lamborghini Urus. This gives the car not only Ferrari-level performance and dynamic capability, but also the space, comfort and easy-to-use cabin that an SUV requires.

“The challenge is to open a new segment for Ferrari,” said Leiters. “We always have a very, very sharp positioning. It helps us develop cars in a specific, focused way and easily decide certain trade-offs. The trade-off decision is completely different for us here. We will have entirely new engineering challenges.”

Ferrari remains tight-lipped about the details of the Purosangue, but is happy to discuss the theory and the challenges behind pushing the brand in its most radical direction yet in its illustrious 72-year history. The SUV’s design is known to have been approved, and the car will use Ferrari’s scalable mid-engine architecture, one of two highly flexible structures that will underpin Ferrari’s future range.

Both architectures, the other with a traditional mid-engine layout, can accommodate V6, V8 and V12 engines, with or without hybrid assistance, and with a transaxle dual-clutch automatic gearbox, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, two-, plus-two or four-seat cabins, with variable wheelbase lengths, coupé, Spider or Purosangue body styles (Purosangue has also traditionally been used to describe the body styles of Ferrari’s large front-engined V12 GTs), and low or high ride heights.

From these wide-ranging parameters, the SUV will take the form of a four-seater roughly five metres long, and its high ride height is likely to be achieved through height-adjustable suspension and an anti-roll system to allow impressive on-road dynamics and some off-road capability. Plug-in hybrid technology is also set up to be used as pressure to reduce emissions increases, with the drivetrain derived from the new Ferrari SF90 Stradale.

Will the Ferrari Purosangue increase sales as the Lamborghini Urus has?

The new supercar, Ferrari’s first series-production regular hybrid, mixes a 4.0-litre V8 with three electric motors, one at the rear between the engine and gearbox and two at the front to provide all-wheel drive. A version of that system is expected to appear in the Purosangue, but it is more likely to be paired with a new turbocharged V6 that Ferrari has in development. A high-end V12 version is also considered likely, as Ferrari remains committed to developing V12 engines.

“The SF90 is a new product with so many new innovations in the car, so we found the elements to go into other cars,” Leiters said, referring to the transfer of technology from the SF90 Stradale to other models. “The challenge [with the SUV] is completely different. There are some innovations to carry over, but our organisation has learned to do innovation,” he added, referring to the likelihood that the Purosangue will feature its own innovations.

The Purosangue name is also used to describe the family of new GT models that Ferrari plans to launch over the next four years, with an assumed drive towards versatility and comfort. Among them will be a replacement for the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso, whose future does not depend on the launch of the SUV.

All Ferrari GT models, including the SUV, will get a completely new interior design based on what it calls a ‘eyes on the road, hands on the street’ approach. Features will include a new steering wheel design, a new infotainment system, a front display, new instruments, new ways of operating the cabin controls, rear-seat entertainment and improved ingress and egress. Leiters also detailed some of the engineering challenges Ferrari faces as it develops its first SUV.

“With space, how can we ensure there is ergonomic and easy-to-use comfort on board? How do we combine sporty design with a more comfort-oriented design? What about the HMI [human-machine interface]? Our HMI is driver-oriented, but how can it be more democratic? What are the comfort features? What is the pure DNA of a Ferrari in a car for greater comfort?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5NyNaitU7w

“It is a challenge, an opportunity and fun. I like it very much. Some concepts are very close together, but with cars like the 175, one thing we want to do is structure the product range and have something different.” Leiters said the two new architectures provided much greater flexibility across Ferrari’s future models. “We have not said there will definitely be a V6 or V12, but we have planned for it. My job is to give the company an opportunity for models.”

“Depending on the different customer requirements, do we need space? Six or eight cylinders? A long wheelbase? So we can offer V6, V8, V12, with front or mid engine, hybrid or non-hybrid, two-wheel or four-wheel drive, 2+0, 2+2 or four seats; vary the wheelbase a lot. We can manage it very easily and have a very low impact in doing so.”

Design chief Flavio Manzoni has pointed out that the designers had been working with engineering from the outset to ensure optimal proportions for what will become a controversial model for the brand. “You start to define the design of the car in the earliest steps.” “In that defining phase we work with the engineers. We can determine the proportions and dimensions to have a very good base to work from. That is the case for the SUV too. Many SUVs are derivatives of other cars. Designers have many limitations due to the technical base. In our case, there is no compromise.” “If we don’t start together with engineers, defining together with the package, it is a problem. I praise many of the collaborations when we begin a new project.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A22Y6TQBDGo

Who does the new Ferrari Purosangue face?

Lamborghini Urus

Perhaps the car most similar in concept to the high-end Ferrari comes from its best-known Italian competitor, Lamborghini. The polarising Lamborghini Urus was launched last year and has sold more than double any other Lamborghini so far this year, a fact Ferrari cannot ignore. It features a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 producing 641 CV, enough for 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of just under 305 km/h.

Aston Martin DBX

It remains to be seen how much impact Aston’s first SUV will have on the sector, but we will have a full look at the new DBX by the end of the year. With a similar desire to Ferrari’s to mix high-capacity petrol power with (eventually) hybrid options, the DBX will launch with a Mercedes V8 and the Aston Martin V12 as powertrain options. It is the British company’s great hope for increasing volumes.

Bentley Bentayga Speed

Rival Rolls-Royce will be more closely aligned with Ferrari in terms of pricing with its Cullinan, but the Bentley Bentayga SUV, particularly in Speed form, is a more natural rival. With a turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 producing 626 CV providing propulsion and a lighter chassis refined for more dynamic driving, it will also be the benchmark for Ferrari in interior quality, space and long-distance comfort.

Lotus SUV

Due at a similar time to the Purosangue, this is Lotus’s first crack at the sports utility vehicle formula. It will be much cheaper than Ferrari, starting below £100,000, but has a similar spirit to a genuinely fun-to-drive SUV. It will draw on the influence of parent company Geely, which includes platforms and hybrid propulsion systems from the Volvo stable. A high-end flagship could give Ferrari a run for its money.