Just don't call it an SUV.
Where it’s most natural rival, the Lamborghini Urus, uses a twin-turbo V-8 developed by Porsche, the Ferrari Purosangue is powered by that most magnificent of engines, a V-12.
It’s a 6.5-liter V-12 making 715 hp and 528 lb-ft of torque, with a redline set at 8250 rpm. By our reckoning, that makes the Purosangue the highest-revving SUV ever.
Ferrari’s current 65-degree V-12 started life as a 6.0-liter unit in the Enzo and went on to power the 599, FF, F12, LaFerrari, GTC4Lusso, 812, Monza SP1 and SP2, and Daytona SP3. In the SP3 and 812 Competizione, it makes 828 hp and revs to 9500 rpm.
The all-wheel drive is a development of the system Ferrari created for the FF. Instead of relying on a center differential, the Purosangue has a two-speed gearbox driven off the front of the V-12. The gearbox for the rear is an eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle.
This is the Power-Transfer Unit (PTU), which distributes torque to the front wheels. When the rear gearbox is shifted beyond fifth, drive to the front is disconnected.
By mounting the V-12 well behind the front axle and utilizing a transaxle, Ferrari was able to give the Purosangue a near-perfect weight distribution of 49 percent front, 51 percent rear.
The weight distribution might be great, but Purosangue is a heavy vehicle. Ferrari claims 4482 pounds in its lightest configuration, but that’s a dry weight, which doesn’t include any of the fluids necessary for driving. Expect drivable cars to be closer to 4800 pounds.
Still, the Ferrari should be very quick. Ferrari says 0-62 mph (100 km/h) comes in 3.3 seconds, while 0-124 mph (200 km/h) comes in 10.6 seconds.
Ferrari says the Purosangue will do over 193 mph (310 km/h) flat-out, matching the top speed of the Aston Martin DBX707.
This is the first four-door from Ferrari ever. It’s built four-seat cars for years, but this should be its best family car yet.
Rear-hinged “suicide” doors give the Purosangue a much cleaner look than a normal four-door. The only other SUV with such doors is the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
Ferrari ditches the traditional infotainment screen in favor of individual screens for driver and passenger. There’s also no navigation system, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard—a Ferrari first.
Like most new Ferrari models, the Purosangue places all the major controls on the steering wheel. Controversially, there are no real buttons, just haptic touch pads.
Naturally, you can have your Purosangue interior in any color combination you want. Ferrari offers almost limitless customization for its cars, though it comes at a price.
The Purosangue is the first Ferrari to be offered with massaging front seats. Truly, we’re in a brave new world here.
Interestingly, Ferrari won’t offer a rear bench seat for the Purosangue. It will only be sold with four individual buckets with a large rear center console. That means it loses out on practicality points, though we suspect rear passengers will appreciate the extra bolstering in hard corners.
We suspect the use of a rear transaxle forced Ferrari to forgo a bench option. It’s the only SUV that uses a rear transaxle.
The aluminum spaceframe chassis of the Purosangue is all-new, and despite being larger than the GTC4Lusso’s, it’s lighter and stiffer.
The Purosangue is the first car to use Multimatic’s True Active Spool Valve (TASV) dampers. They use an electric motor attached to the piston to control its motion.
The use of TASV dampers allowed Ferrari to forgo the use of traditional anti-roll bars.
The new dampers work with all of Ferrari’s latest, greatest electronic systems to ensure excellent handling.
Like the 812 Competitizone, the Purosangue is one of the only cars to have fully independent four-wheel steering. Each rear wheel can steer independently, unlocking all sorts of possibilities. For example, both rear wheels can steer inward, creating more toe-in under braking.
The Purosangue doesn’t have a rear-window wiper. Instead, the integrated rear wing guides air down the rear window, helping keep the glass clean.
Purosangue buyers have a choice of glass or carbon-fiber roofs. Carbon fiber obviously saves weight and lowers the center of gravity, but glass makes the interior feel more spacious.
Though we suspect Purosangue buyers won’t be bothered much by fuel economy, we figured we’d mention it here. Ferrari hasn’t released figures yet, but we expect it’d be the same, if not a little worse than the old GTC4Lusso’s 12 mpg city, 17 highway, 13 combined.
A lot. We don’t know the final numbers yet, but we expect the Purosangue to start around $400,000, and with options, it should easily crest the half-million mark.
Though expensive, the ownership proposition of a new Ferrari is very good. The company will cover all scheduled maintenance for seven years.
Deliveries should start by the end of next year, but if you’re not already on the list to get one, you’ll likely have to wait a long time.
Keyword: Everything You Need to Know about the 2023 Ferrari Purosangue