Ferrari announces their new SUV called the Prosangue

On 13 September 2022, Ferrari announced the development of their first-ever Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), the Purosangue. In true SUV fashion, the Purosangue is the first four-door four-seater car built by Ferrari, going against the Formula 1, saying that the Italian car company has always either had two doors or no doors. Let’s take a look at what the Purosangue represents in the Ferrari world, and what makes it so alluring.

Over 70 years, Ferrari has presented to us some of the world’s most glamorous cars. Some of their most recognisable vehicles include the Ferrari 125 S in 1947, with which they entered the world of motorsport, and the 250 GT, the Ferrari 275, and the Ferrari Daytona between the ’60s and the ’80s.

Furthermore, during that period, Ferrari generated more public interest through television shows. For example, American actor Tom Selleck was shown driving the Ferrari 308 GTS in the 80’s classic TV show Magnum P.I, and Don Johnson was pictured sporting a Ferrari Daytona Spider and a Ferrari Testa Rossa in the TV show Miami Vice.

Since then, Ferrari would establish their passion and flare through more iconic films and their prowess in motorsport, particularly Formula 1. The iconic brand is known worldwide for its game-changing performance combined with unparalleled elegance. From creating 1000 horsepower racing cars to exquisite supercars, Ferrari has announced their first-ever Sports Utility Vehicle, the Purosangue.

The Purosangue, which stands for ‘thoroughbred’ in Italian, is Ferrari's first-ever attempt at creating a 4-door, 4-seater SUV. What has generated so much attention around the Italian's new 4-wheel driver crossover is how will Ferrari begin to compete with its competitors, such as Lamborghini, Porsche even Aston martin, who achieved so much success from making SUVs.

For a prime example, we should look back to the German manufacturer Porsche’s release of the performance-oriented all-terrain Cayenne SUV in 2002, which saved Porsche from bankruptcy. Top Gear revealed that at the Paris Motor Show in 2002, the Cayenne became an immediate success, and which, according to Porsche themselves, “helped to pull the company out of a crisis.” The Cayenne outsold the previous favourite, the Porsche 911, by 50,000 units during the financial crisis in 2008. And by December 2020, Porsche had sold its millionth Cayenne SUV.

Another example is the Lamborghini Urus. Unveiled on 4^th December 2017, selling for £159,925, the Urus is one of the fastest SUVs sold on the market and a mouth-watering prospect in the eyes of Top Gear. Thanks to the Urus, Lamborghini's valuation hit over $11 billion in 2018. But what made the Urus an outstanding success was its ability to retain fantastic speed and performance on the road. Furthermore, rumour has it that an even faster version is being developed, making the Urus a true pioneer in the Super SUV genre.

These are just two examples of the SUV segment market explosion even before the Ferrari Purosangue. We can also see the popularity of the SUV in Bentley's luxurious off-road offerings, Rolls-Royce's £300K Cullinan, Jeep fitting Hellcat engines to their Grand Cherokee, and Aston Martin’s new DBX. Can Ferrari surpass their competition?

According to Auto Express, Ferrari’s Purosangue will cost around £350,000, which makes it one of the most expensive SUVs to be sold on the market. Yet where Ferrari lacks in price, it can make up for speed and performance. The Prosangue will have a 6.5-litre V12 engine producing a whopping 715 horsepower, going from 0-60 takes about 3.3 seconds, and its top speed is 193 miles per hour, the same statistics you get from the brand new Aston Martin DX707. 

But compared to the DX707, which costs £190,000, why is Ferrari’s new SUV £160,000 more expensive?

The answer comes down to the long and expensive list of luxury and performance features Ferrari offers. A touchscreen can be installed on the front passenger side, while massaging front seats and an electrochromic glass roof are other optional additions that make it stand out from other luxury car.

But how economical is the Italian stallion SUV, which weighs two tonnes? Car and Driver said that the Prosangue might do 14 mpg (miles to the gallon), which is the same economical rate as the Lamborghini Urus. But as there are no official figures to suggest the Prosangue will do 14 mpg, it is likely that a V-12-powered SUV like the Prosangue may even achieve less than 14 mpg. In this respect, it falls behind the Rolls Royce Cullinan that can do 19 mpg, and the Aston Martin DBX that can do 20 mpg.

So, while the Ferrari Prosangue is fast and the most powerful, it is also the most expensive and the least efficient. The solution to the current problems would be to incorporate hybrid technology into future cars. However, though many manufacturers are incorporating hybrid technology into their road cars, Ferrari’s CEO Louis Camilleri has said that he “doesn’t envision the famed automaker ditching the internal combustion engine anytime soon”. This shows that staying true to Ferrari’s technological tradition has led to its being the least fuel-efficient amongst its competitors.

Ferrari’s latest car is in keeping with their consistent demonstration that their cars have the passion and flare to be game changers, not only on the road but also in motorsport. The fact that the Purosangue is generating so much attention already with a release set for summer 2023, proves Ferrari’s power to transform the car industry.

Edited by: Aaron Teasdale

Image Credit: Top Gear

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