2022 Ferrari Purosangue SUV spied – Ferrari’s Lamborghini Urus rival caught in the act
Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Bentley have all expanded into SUVs, now it’s Ferrari’s turn to join in and the Purosangue has been spotted
Ferrari’s first SUV, currently codenamed Purosangue, has been caught on its path towards production, spotted testing in the early stages of its development. The Ferrari Purosangue is bound to break plenty of boundaries for the iconic Italian marque, and while up until now we’ve only been privy to its existence, the spy pictures represent our first insight into its execution.
While the prototype doesn't give any of its styling secrets away, its proportions do tell us this will not be a particularly upright high-riding SUV, but something lower and wider. The prototype’s body shell, although derived from a Maserati Levante, has a few crucial differences starting with the body’s lower position over the axles, which will inform a lower and leaner look than we\ve seen on the chunky Maserati. The wheel arches are also significantly wider, hiding what will no doubt be a very large set of wheels, tyres and brakes.
The likelihood of the Purosangue’s more ground-hugging nature is further reinforced by the grille’s placement right at the base of the prototype’s front fascia. Having the key intake so close to the ground will likely lead to a lower bonnetline, and therefore beltline, than is portrayed on this prototype.
Ferrari has confirmed that the Purosangue’s chassis will be built from Ferrari’s highly flexible aluminium matrix platform. Despite sharing elements from the new Roma, though, it’s proportions otherwise look relatively normal, lacking the exaggerated dash-to-axle ratio that usually typifies Ferrari’s front-engine model range. This would lead us to believe that the engine’s placement will be further forward than in Ferrari’s existing GT models, suggesting the Purosangue will have a more traditional powertrain configuration than something like the more technically complicated dual-transmission layout of that GTC4 Lusso.
As for the powertrain itself, expect an application of Ferrari’s twin-turbocharged V8 engine, possibly with hybridisation, connected to a dual-clutch transmission and an all-wheel drive system. What’s unknown is whether Ferrari will fit its highly-strung V12 but given the prototype’s proportions, that could be a tall order in terms of packaging as well as the engine’s suitability in a big, heavy SUV.
Ferrari has been typically coy about other specifics, too, not confirming anything other than a forecasted 2022 launch. The name, Purosangue, is also a working title for the project, meaning it’ll likely pick up a new moniker. With a seemingly boundless appetite for large expensive SUVs at the top of the marketplace, Ferrari’s decision to join this lucrative marketplace was an inevitable one. What form of SUV it actually reveals in 2022 remains the more pertinent question, but one we’re now starting to get a picture of.
