Ferrari has shared some early considerations about its upcoming first SUV.
According to the Italian supercar maker, the off-roader will not emerge until at least 2021. This is explained by the need to design a new modular vehicle architecture from scratch. Once done, the architecture will facilitate production of cars with all kinds of engine layouts and drives, but the ‘front-engine, rear-wheel drive’ layout will be the default one.
Designing a new car platform will also enable Ferrari to alternate between two- and four-seat cabin designs easily. Despite this, the company still says creating a truly comfortable interior for the SUV is ‘challenging’. First, the engineer department will have to learn to think about the comfort of all passengers in the car rather than just the driver, like before. Second, the new comfort-oriented design should in no way impair the superb steering and acceleration dynamics associated with the brand name.
Another difficulty Maranello engineers will have to face is making the vehicle off-road capable. Right now, the company is considering using height-adjustable air suspension with active roll stabilization.
Nothing is certain about the engines right now, but the new architecture is being designed to support V6, V8 and V12 units as well as hybrid systems, like the one powering the SF90 Stradale.
No official images are available so far, but a GTC4Lusso-based test mule of the SUV has been spotted driving somewhere in Italy before. See the gallery and the video for some low-quality footage.
Finally, rumor has it that the name ‘Purosangue’ the company claimed the rights for will eventually be given for a whole new range of FWD sport cars, while the SUV will get a different name altogether. Once it reaches the market, it will have to compete against the Aston Martin DBX, Bentley Bentayga, and Lamborghini Urus.