2023 Ferrari Purosangue

Porsche's decision to start building the Cayenne in 2002 didn't immediately ruffle the feathers of its traditional supercar rivals, but Lamborghini jumped on the SUV bandwagon with the Urus in 2018, and then Aston Martin began selling the DBX in 2020. Ferrari held out for as long as it could, but it simply had to have something to compete with these rivals, hence the arrival of the dramatic Purosangue, the Prancing Horse's first "SUV."

This is also Ferrari's first four-door four-seater production model, but with so many firsts, it's comforting to find a naturally-aspirated V12 powering the Purosangue. It makes 715 horsepower and will power this SUV to 62 mph in only 3.3 seconds. The V12 is paired with a trick all-wheel-drive system and dual transmission combination. There's a lot to unpack here, including Ferrari's assertion that this isn't actually an SUV at all, so let's get started.

Although it has been officially revealed, the Purosangue won't be coming out immediately. The Ferrari Purosangue's release date is set for later in 2023.

The official price for the 2023 Ferrari Purosangue hasn't yet been revealed, but estimates suggest that it will cost in the region of $400,000 MSRP.

A price like that in the USA would make the Purosangue more expensive than all its rivals. Even the Lamborghini Urus Performante will cost only $260,676, while the Aston Martin DBX707 starts from $236,000. The most expensive Porsche Cayenne, the Turbo GT, starts at $188,700.

What none of these SUVs have is a V12. Bentley will oblige with a W12 in its Bentayga Speed, but that vehicle is much more luxurious and not as athletic as the smaller Purosangue.

In explaining the Ferrari Purosangue's exterior and proportions, the Italian marque said that it has "a completely different layout and innovative proportions compared to modern GT archetypes (so-called crossovers and SUVs)." Evidently, Ferrari does not want the Purosangue to be considered a traditional SUV. In Ferrari's defense, the Purosangue does look more like a beefier GTC4Lusso than a tall SUV.

To accommodate the large front-mid-mounted V12, the 2023 Purosangue has a long hood. The hood itself is a front-hinged clamshell, which allowed the design team to get more creative with the shapes in the vicinity of the A-pillar. Ferrari says the design has been separated into two levels: the imposing upper body and a more technical lower body. The team wanted the upper portion of the body to appear as though it is floating on the wheel arches.

In front, blown aero ducts rather than headlights dominate. The actual headlights are sited lower next to the intakes. Instead of a front grille, a more "technical aesthetic" was achieved by using a dihedral suspended on the lower section. Like the hood, the rear doors are also hinged unconventionally; rear hinges have been used to make ingress and egress easier at the back, but it also gives the Purosangue a profile quite unlike any other SUV when these suicide doors are open. These are power-operated, too.

Staggered 22-/23-inch wheels front and rear are equipped, with various wheel designs available. You can specify brake calipers in colors like blue, red, and yellow. Customers can choose between a standard roof, a panoramic glass roof, or one finished in carbon fiber.

At the back, there is a horizontal cut line that integrates the taillights at either end. Below the taillights are two scoops that form dual vents. Sizable rear wings, an aggressive diffuser, a rear spoiler, and rounded quad-exit tailpipes gel together well. Those tailpipes can be upgraded to sport exhaust pipes or black ceramic ones. Yes, like every other Prancing Horse, the new Ferrari Purosangue SUV can be customized to your heart's content.

There are many colors for the Ferrari Purosangue for you to choose from. Solid options include Giallo Modena (yellow), Bianco Avus (white), Nero (black), and of course, the classic Rosso Corsa (red), Metallic shades include Blu Corsa and Nero Daytona, while the historical palette includes the stealthy Canna Di Fucile (black) and Verde British.

While we're not convinced that the Purosangue isn't - at the very least - a high-performance crossover, Ferrari has certainly created a vehicle that is unique in this segment. At the end of the day, whatever it's classified as hardly matters - this is an arresting and interesting visual extension of the Ferrari brand, and that's a win in our book.

The Ferrari Purosangue's dimensions further support how unorthodox it is alongside most other SUVs. Previously, it was the Lamborghini Urus that was one of the lower high-performance SUVs, but the Purosangue's height is lower still at just 62.6 inches. At 195.8 inches in length, the Purosangue is a little longer than a Porsche Cayenne Turbo but not as long as the Urus. The width of the Ferrari is 79.8 inches, and the wheelbase is 118.8 inches long.

Ferrari claims that the Purosangue's dry weight is 4,482 pounds, so the curb weight is likely to be closer to 4,800 lbs, or a little less than the Urus and DBX707. That weight is distributed almost evenly at 49% in front and 51% at the back, which Ferrari says is optimal for a front-mid-engined sports car. Further to this, the front-mid positioning of the V12 has helped Ferrari deliver the driving dynamics that live up to its lofty expectations.

A sonorous V12 in an SUV is exceedingly rare. A naturally aspirated one is unheard of. The Ferrari Purosangue's engine displaces 6.5 liters and does without forced induction and electrification. This 65-degree V12 - with cylinder heads derived from the 812 Competizione - pumps out an incredible 715 hp at 7,750 rpm (just 500 rpm short of the engine's maximum revs) and 528 lb-ft of torque at 6,250 rpm. Clearly, it's an engine that does its best stuff at high revs, and unsurprisingly, it sounds fantastic doing so. Still, Ferrari says that up to 80% of torque is delivered at only 2,100 rpm, so it's a flexible unit too.

The Purosangue utilizes an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that is mounted at the rear of the SUV to direct most of the power to the rear wheels, essentially creating a transaxle layout. But to give it all-wheel-drive capability, a second transmission on the front axle directs some power to the front of the car, too, something Ferrari refers to as the Power Transfer Unit. This setup has been seen before in none other than the GTC4Lusso, which the Purosangue effectively replaces.

The primary eight-speeder has new actuation hydraulics for faster clutch fill times and quicker shift times when compared with the older seven-speed DCT. The clutch performance is reportedly 35% higher than before.

Performance specs are phenomenal for a four-seater almost-an-SUV specimen. The Purosangue goes from 0-62 mph in only 3.3 seconds, while 0-124 takes 10.6. Ferrari promises a top speed of 193 mph. That would exactly match the current fastest SUV in the world, the DBX707, in terms of top speed.

Being a Ferrari, it could very well set new standards for segment driving dynamics. The chassis is all-new and was designed from scratch. It's also lighter than the chassis used for previous Ferrari four-seater models, and both torsional rigidity (+30%) and beam stiffness (+25%) are up. A new active suspension solution with a Multimatic True Active Spool Valve (TASV) system has been used in place of traditional anti-roll bars. It uses electric motor actuation along with a high-precision spool valve hydraulic damper, working in tandem with Side Slip Control 8.0 to reduce roll, balance over- and understeer, and absorb surface imperfections.

Independent four-wheel steering will enhance agility, and so far, it all sounds like the underpinnings of a proper supercar. However, Ferrari couldn't resist adding one feature that refutes its claim that this isn't an SUV: hill descent control. For use on steep descents to help control the car's speed, it's the first time that this function has been offered on a Ferrari.

The Purosangue's gas mileage figures are still under homologation and no EPA ratings are available at this stage. In the significantly lighter 812 Competizione, the 6.5-liter V12 - 819 hp in this form - is already restricted to just 12/16/14 mpg/city/highway/combined. We wouldn't be shocked if the Purosangue's gas mileage in the city dipped into the single digits.

Fortunately, a large 26.4-gallon gas means that you won't have to visit the pumps every day, but the heavy consumption rules out a significant range.

Four-seater Ferraris are already rare, but one with four doors? This is the first Ferrari of its kind, so entering the cabin via the rear-hinged, power-operated doors is an entirely new experience. Inside the interior of the Ferrari Purosangue, the sporty steering wheel and tachometer-dominated cluster display are immediately familiar, but the rest of the design is quite different for the brand. The center of the dashboard has a deeply recessed section with a ventilation outlet on either side.

Inspired by the SF90 Stradale, Ferrari opted for a dual cockpit layout as the front passenger has access to their own 10.25-inch display. This approach of giving all Ferrari Purosangue seats their own distinct area is repeated at the back. Those in front can access comfort-related controls on a hideaway rotary interface, and those at the back can access the same functions via a second rotary interface. There is a metal gear-shift gate, an area to charge your phone wirelessly, a standard Burmester 3D surround sound system fitted as standard, and both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are too.

Rich materials are in evidence throughout the cabin, but there has been a new focus on sustainability. 85% of the launch trim was, in fact, sustainability produced. It's also the first car in the world to use a unique Alcantara that is made of 68% post-consumer recycled polyester. Leather does, of course, remain available, and customers can choose from colors like Blu Medio, Bordeaux, Rosse Ferrari, Nero, and many more.

Ferrari did not quote rear legroom or headroom figures but comfort has been prioritized there as the seats can be independently adjusted. The backrests are also heated and can be individually reclined or moved forward to increase the Ferrari Purosangue's cargo space. Speaking of cargo, there are 16.7 cubic feet behind the second row. This is by no means impressive by SUV standards, but it's brilliant in the context of Ferrari's lineup.

The safety spec is more comprehensive than we've come to expect from Ferrari. The Purosangue comes with several driver-assistance features developed together with Bosch, like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind-spot detection, and traffic sign recognition.

Optionally, customers can equip massaging front seats with three levels of intensity, and in another Ferrari first, there is an air quality sensor that can prevent harmful particles from entering the car.