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Ferrari "SUV" Coming in 2022

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Yep, it'll have four doors, more ground clearance, and AWD. No, it's not an SUV or a crossover. Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri said during an interview conference last week: "I abhor seeing SUV in the same sentence as Ferrari. It just doesn't sit well with our brand and what it represents." He refused to call it an SUV or a crossover. So what is it? Well, it's code name Purosangue, meaning Pure Blood, in case you're worried it will be anything but a Ferrari. He apparently wasn't even on board with the idea at all, until he saw the internal design.

That bodes well, although not much is known about the looks. Drawing inspiration from the GTC4Lusso is probably a safe bet. The GTC4Lusso (pictured) is Ferrari's only current car that has AWD and 4 seats, although it's only got two doors and doesn't have room for much else. It is basically a shooting brake of a 2+2 GT car and packs a Ferrari V12 under the hood. Although the GTC4 is technically AWD, it is unlike any other AWD system you can buy. AWD systems typically provide power split after the transmission. There is either a power takeoff unit, an internal differential, a transfer case, or some other means of transferring power to a second axle. BMW x-Drive system is illustrated below; axles, driveshafts, and centre clutch pack or "diff" highlighted in blue, showing the front driveshaft running below the engine to the front axle. In the GTC4, though, this wasn't acceptable.


That's because in a traditional RWD-based, longitudinal engine layout, the second driveshaft (prop shaft) would have had  to run below the engine to go to the front axle since power takeoff behind the engine. This would have meant having to raise the engine which is bad for dynamics, looks, etc. Ferrari's solution, put simply, was to do a second takeoff from the front of the engine with a small 2-speed gearbox/transmission to drive the front axle. Two power takeoffs, one from the rear (traditional) to the rear axle and one from the front to the front axle. That kept the engine low and Ferrari looks and dynamics minimally compromised by the added driven axle and, more importantly IMO, gave the PR team something critical. Ferrari went out of its way and innovated something completely unique to preserve what a Ferrari is. It was hardly a chink in Ferrari's armour while offering something a little more practical with AWD against Porsche's (a long time ago) addition of outright sedans/hatches and SUVs and the rest of the industry confirming SUVs (Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls Royce, etc.). This time, it’s different, though..

If this Purosangue vehicle is anything more than a stretched GTC4 Lusso with 4 doors, it will at least have higher ground clearance to achieve the claimed function of offering "revolutionary accessibility" (for a Ferrari, presumably) and being a vehicle for "multiple occasions and passengers". While that alone could be a Ferrari crime, higher ground clearance means a traditional, simpler, and more functional AWD system is possible, removing the air of exotica surrounding the GC4's unique AWD system. Making matters worse, base drivetrain will be a turbo V-6 hybrid. Now, the Ferrari-derived turbo V6 Alfa is using in its Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio has some pedigree and the noise is very unique but in an Alfa, that elevates the brand, in V8 and V12 land of Ferrari, not so much. With that said, a V8 (presumably turbocharged, and perhaps hybrid as well) will be made optional and possibly a V12, which may be the only saving grace for this car as being anything but Ferrari finally caving to where the market's appetite for higher riding vehicles.


At least the car will be built on an all-new platform, according to Ferrari, which will also be the basis of Ferrari's next generation of front-engine cars. It will be one of 15 new Ferrari models to debut between 2019 and 2022 and one of 9 models that will be hybrid by then. Look for it to launch by 2022. I don't see it taking on any stupid body cladding or fake diffusers, plates, etc. that are common on today's SUV's and crossovers. And if the Alfa Stelvio reviews are any indication, it should drive a lot more like a car than a crossover. If Alfa can do it, so can Ferrari, but I am still mourning the death of yet another SUV-free lineup; Ferrari's no less.

Source: Ferrari & Car and Driver

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