Leaked: Here’s The Ferrari Purosangue SUV In The Flesh

It’s really happening; Ferrari are now on the verge of launching their first-ever SUV, which looks to be earmarked for a reveal by mid-2022. Though previously all we had were vague artist renders of the high-riding Italian, new images have leaked from inside the Maranello facility where early examples of the finished vehicle itself are taking shape.

They seem to be hastily snapped, as is to be expected, photos of a silver Purosangue on the assembly line, showing off its not-so-overt SUV elements such as gloss black cladding around wheel arches and more prominent protective elements along the front lip and side skirts.

It still looks like a GTC4Lusso on stilts, albeit with two more doors, especially from the rear. Besides the fact that Ferrari has chosen to develop a bespoke platform specifically for the Purosangue - unlike the Audi Q7-derived MLB platform sharers like the Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus - Ferrari has remained very tight-lipped on details about their newest upcoming….SUV.

This new vehicle architecture, while debuting in the Purosangue, is meant to be scalable enough to be adapted for Ferrari’s future front-engine offerings.

That being said, what lies beneath its bonnet remains a total mystery though an educated guesser would quickly conclude that Ferrari really only has 2 choices (since it only has 2 engines in its production model line-up, both of which are offered in the GTC4Lusso): the F154 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 and the F140 6.3-litre naturally aspirated V12.

However, there is strong evidence that Ferrari are also planning to slot in the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 from this year’s 296 GTB (without the electric drive component) into a more entry-level variant of the Purosangue some time further into its life cycle.

A dual-clutch transmission will likely be paired to all engine choices, if any, before drive is pushed through the 4RM four-wheel drive system to reach the wheels in very similar fashion to how the FF (and later the GTC4Lusso) operated.

Air suspension is expected to be standard fit to grant the Purosangue’s occupants effortless cross-continental ability in uncharacteristic levels of comfort. To this end, boot space should also be rather ample, which might necessitate a wheelbase almost as long as the GTC4Lusso at almost 3 metres, but with longer overhangs.

Almost all this is conjecture, so we’ll have to wait until Ferrari breaks their vow of silence and is ready to tell the world about one of its most radical creations in its 75 year history.

By the way, the name Purosangue translates roughly to ‘Thoroughbred’ and refers to a breed of Italian horses (Purosangue Orientale) that were amalgamated from Arabian stallions whose origins span the Middle East and North Africa. Now you know.