The Ferrari Purosangue, the legendary company’s first-ever SUV, has been revealed in full. What’s also the first four-door, four-seat Ferrari, the Purosangue will go on sale later this year with prices likely to start from around £340,000.
The 2023 Ferrari Purosangue is a rival to the Aston Martin DBX, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Huracan and Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUVs. A resolutely high-performance machine, it is one of the most extreme SUVs the world has ever seen.
It’s also one of the most beautiful. The Ferrari Purosangue has a real flowing delicacy to its profile, which harks back to the firm’s famous two-seat berlinettas. It is muscular and purposeful, but there’s beauty within those curves, too.
Be in no doubt, the Ferrari Purosangue is a large car. It measures 4,973mm long and over two metres wide, and it boasts ground clearance of 185mm – in contrast to the usual speed-hump-scraping Ferrari. But it doesn’t look overly bulky and, to our eyes, looks very authentic. Extra marks for the classic 308 GTB-style toggles that open the rear doors.
They are what Ferrari calls ‘Welcome Doors’; the rear one is hinged at the rear. This makes it easier for back seat passengers to get in and out, and also adds a bit of street theatre. As for rear seat space, it’s generous, even for tall adults. The two individual rear seats are heated and individually adjustable, too.
The Ferrari Purosangue dashboard is modelled on its SF90 supercar. The wraparound design incorporates dual display screens, one for the front seat passenger as well as the driver. It’s quite the tactile, leather-clad work of art – and enthusiasts will be delighted to see the five-mode Ferrari manettino dial is still found on the steering wheel, along with an array of other touch-sensitive controls.
Ferrari is fitting both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard to the Purosangue; they actually take the place of regular inbuilt sat nav. There’s also the option of high-end Burmester 3D surround sound, and electrochromatic glass roof that goes from see-through to shaded at the press of a button.
The most thrilling part of the Ferrari Purosangue has to be its engine – a red-blooded, normally-aspirated 6.5-litre V12. It produces a monumental 725PS which, with the aid of all-wheel drive and an eight-speed paddle-shift dual-clutch automatic gearbox, sears the Purosangue from 0-62mph in just 3.3 seconds. For a car that weighs almost 2.2 tonnes, that’s going to be quite something to experience; Ferrari describes the Purosangue’s acceleration as “never-ending”.
There are no quoted Ferrari Purosangue fuel economy or CO2 figures yet, but a 100-litre fuel tank gives an indication of how they’ll pan out… if you want a more fuel-efficient Ferrari SUV, we expect V8 turbo and even plug-in hybrid versions to follow later.
The Ferrari Purosangue, unlike many of its rivals, doesn’t have air suspension. The engineers say it just doesn’t respond quickly enough on a racetrack, and that’s where a big chunk of the Purosangue’s development has taken place. Instead, the coil spring setup has 48-volt electronic anti-roll actuators, a system called Ferrari Active Suspension Technology: yes, it’s known as FAST.
Other Ferrari Purosangue fast facts include a practical 478-litre boot, a weight distribution that matches a front-mid-engined sports car, and the remarkable inclusion of seven years’ free maintenance in the list price. Ferrari adds the Purosangue will never account for more than 20% of its overall yearsly production – just a few thousand cars a year, then. Form an orderly queue and be prepared to wait for your new Ferrari Purosangue…
