The GFG Kangaroo prototype forces us to rethink the concept of the SUV

Designers Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro present their GFG Kangaroo, the definitive “ultimate off-road supercar”

I must confess that, when I first read that the prestigious GFG design studio would present, among the unique novelties of the Geneva Motor Show, a hyper-SUV they had named GFG Kangaroo, and I saw the images, I honestly did not know whether Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro were pulling our leg or whether we were, in fact, looking at a masterpiece within their collection of spectacular creations.

Luckily, the GFG Kangaroo belongs to the second group, since, in my personal view, this prototype is the proposal that, to my mind, fully lives up to what the letters SUV stand for: Sport Utility Vehicle.

The GFG Kangaroo must not be understood through the lens of the commercial concept of the SUV. It is not a crossover that struggles to cope as soon as any of its wheels leaves the asphalt. Nor is it the typical crossover that most users turn to, citing an elevated driving position and a (false) sense of safety thanks to a (false) stability, often more than questionable.

I know that, personally, I have just earned the enmity of some readers who expect to find their future car among the 2019 SUVs, but in the case of the GFG Kangaroo it needs to be analysed as a reinvention of the SUV concept.

The GFG Kangaroo, a futuristic vision of SUVs

Since the GFG Kangaroo presents itself as a utility and sports car, a two-seater with every luxury detail, capable of being practical and functional while also generating the best emotions behind the wheel.

In the words of Fabrizio Giugiaro himself: “A prototype that captures passion and sportiness in a single car, for any terrain: circuit, dirt, gravel or snow.” And they have achieved it.

What does the GFG Kangaroo offer?

That is why the GFG Kangaroo is EV, AWD and 4WS, that is, an electric car, with all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering.

A vehicle whose bodywork, built from lightweight yet strong materials such as carbon fibre or polycarbonates, offers an aggressive styling unbecoming of a crossover, bringing to mind the extreme projects of wealthy Arab fortunes that end up falling into the well of memories.

With dimensions of 4,600 mm in length, 2,000 in width and 1,290 or 1,410 in height, depending on the configuration of its hydraulic suspension, the GFG Kangaroo’s wheelbase measures 2,760 millimetres, which gives it a dynamism worthy of the best sports cars, also thanks to the grip of its four steered wheels.

In addition, with 22-inch tyres, 285/45, it is capable of delivering the traction of a sports car or an off-roader, depending on the surface it faces.

In this regard, the manufacturer claims a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration of just 3.8 seconds and a limited top speed of 250 km/h. Not bad for such a versatile vehicle, as capable of tackling sand dunes as of duelling on the asphalt with the most prestigious sports cars.

An electric prototype that should not be ignored

So much so that, thanks to its two motors, built in collaboration with CH Auto, each delivering 180 kW, the total output amounts to 360 kW, equivalent to no less than 489.5 CV; and a sensational torque of 680 Nm, it has a range of over 450 km and stores its electricity in a 90 kWh battery.

Therefore, although its designers have conceived and presented it as a hyper-SUV prototype, the GFG Kangaroo is the definitive “ultimate off-road supercar”, a sports car capable of facing any surface, quite literally, and which, hopefully, will not end up as a mere concept car but as a production car from some prestigious brand.

https://youtu.be/HQD9Yq3V2GI