Top 10 Interesting Things About The Ferrari Purosangue SUV

The most renowned badge in motoring now sits on a 725PS SUV with suicide rear doors

Ferrari has finally premiered the highly anticipated Purosangue SUV. While various details including its controversial design and powertrain had been leaked online, the Italian marque had managed to keep a lot of its exciting details hidden until now. Here are the top 10 interesting facts and figures you need to know about the Ferrari Purosangue:

Still looks like a Ferrari

While Ferrari may refuse to call the Purosangue an SUV, it sure looks the part. It might still be a bit polarising with its tall stance and flared arches, but the details are unmistakably Ferrari. The flowing bonnet has similarities with the Portofino while the headlights and taillights seem to be inspired by the SF90 Stradale. In profile, we can see a bit of Ferrari’s former practical offering, the GTC4 Lusso but with higher ground clearance and cladding around the wheels.

Around the back, the Purosangue is a sculpture featuring various nips and tucks and creases that make it look Italian and sporty. There are ducts under the tail lamps, an integrated roof spoiler with a gap to guide airflow down the rear windscreen, a high-rising rear diffuser and a daunting dual-exit quad exhaust setup. Additionally, there are various aerodynamic elements all around the car to channel the air as and where it is needed.

Rolls-Royce style rear doors

The Ferrari Purosangue has suicide rear doors! These are proper, full-size doors too, not half slabs like the BMW i3 or Mazda RX8. Ferrari really wanted to make their newest model to offer a top-of-the-line luxury experience. Additionally, these doors are powered too, and can be closed or opened at the touch of a button.

Strictly a four-seater

In case you were expecting the Purosangue to become your new family car, you might have to reconsider. Unlike its closest rivals, this Italian SUV will not get a rear bench seat and will instead be offered with only two seats in the back, separated by a fixed centre console that acts as an armrest with integrated rear climate controls. Each of these seats can be individually adjusted and aim to offer a dynamic experience, one that is expected from a Ferrari.

A dual-cockpit layout

Until now, Ferrari cabins have almost always been about the driver’s experience only. Even the tech controls were largely geared towards ease-of-use from the driver’s seat. However, the Purosangue is a whole new kind of Ferrari and as such, the passenger side of the dashboard looks like a second cockpit with the same styling and AC vents. In place of the instrument cluster display is a 10.2-inch touchscreen display that allows the front passenger to control the infotainment system, the AC, and can still see the various vehicle details such as the speed and revs.

More touch controls and a pop-up rotary dial

Like most new-age Ferrari models, the Purosangue features touch controls for various functions. While there are new indents on the steering wheel to make it easier for the driver to navigate and differentiate between the plethora of touch controls, more have now been added to the narrow central console on the dashboard.

Ferrari has also added the coolest new detail for a climate control system in the luxury SUV space – a pop-up rotary dial with a touchscreen. When you want to adjust the temperature or the fan speed, just tap on its top edge and watch it rise luxuriously for you to turn the dial. It’s like the rotary drive selector from Land Rover, but somehow cooler.

Fairly practical and comfortable

While the four-seat Purosangue may not be as family-oriented as other five-seat performance SUVs, it still has practical elements to it. For instance, you get a wireless charging pad/phone tray in the front centre console, and cupholders too. The heated rear seats also get cupholders and there is the possibility of fitting a rear entertainment package as well. It also comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility as standard. Meanwhile, the front seats have a massage function too with three levels of intensity.

A decent boot

The boot of the Purosangue is not exactly massive, it seems fairly accommodating with its deep floor. Ferrari states the Purosangue has a luggage capacity of 473 litres with all four seats in use, which is similar to what a Porsche Macan has to offer and more than the rated boot space of the GTC4 Lusso. 

Most powerful of its kind

The most true-to-Ferrari aspect of the Purosangue is its powertrain - a 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12. This engine has been heavily reworked for the SUV and even takes some components derived from the 812 Competizione. It is tuned to an output of 725PS at 7750rpm with 716Nm of peak torque at 6250rpm. This makes it the most powerful production SUV currently on sale, and has a claimed top speed of 310kmph. The rear mounted 8-speed DCT automatic distributes power to all four wheels and Ferrari claims it can do the 0-100kmph sprint in just 3.3 seconds.

Another cool detail is that the bonnet is front mounted and opens like a racing car’s clamshell bonnet.

New clever suspension

Ferrari had to build the chassis for the Purosangue from scratch to ensure that the taller body shape would not compromise the car’s handling dynamics. Its structure is therefore stiffer and lighter than previous four-seat Ferraris while also improving NVH. The most remarkable element of the Ferrari SUV is the all new active suspension.

The Ferrari Active Suspension Technology, or FAST for short, uses electric motors with the hydraulic dampers to actively control the wheels and the body with more authority and at higher frequencies. It can continuously control the roll and stiffness of the SUV to try and ensure a flat and level driving experience. This new suspension works in tandem with Ferrari’s traction management system called Side Slip Control 8.0, and independent rear-wheel steering.

No off-roading modes

Since Ferrari is not calling the Purosangue an SUV, it does not get any off-roading modes as such. However, the typical steering mounted Manettino for the traction control system does have an Ice mode for low traction situations and it’s the first Ferrari model with hill descent control. This is unlike the Lamborghini Urus which does call itself an SUV and even has different terrain modes like sand or mud.

There are three modes for the damper adjustment from the steering wheel - soft, medium and hard. These are also indicative of the Purosangue being built as a more practical car, in comparison to the Roma where the only damper setting is between normal and soft, or bumpy-road-mode as it is often called.

The Ferrari Purosangue is slated to begin global deliveries in 2023 and is likely to come to India late next year. It will rival the likes of the aforementioned Lamborghini Urus, along with the Aston Martin DBX, Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT and the Audi RS Q8. It will also be a sportier, Italian alternative to the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and the Range Rover Sport SVR.