Test: Ferrari Purosangue

An SUV, Ferrari wasn’t going to make that, was it?

The brand has indeed called that several times. Until 2013, when the highest boss at the time, Luca de Montezemolo, repeated it again: no new Dino, no SUV. That didn’t suit Ferrari, a car like that would never drive like a Ferrari. But the best man had to leave in 2014, Ferrari went public, annual production went up. And even if it was denied at first: in 2017 it was announced that Ferrari was going to make an SUV. It led to this Purosangue, which you cannot call an SUV from Ferrari.

So what is the Ferrari Purosangue?

A good question. If anything, Ferrari has a point when it says their car is nothing like the SUVs it’s going to compete with. The Lamborghini Urus, the Aston Martin DBX, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT and the Maserati Levante Trofeo: all definitely an SUV. But the Purosangue is lower, has a much longer nose and the V12 is behind the front axle, making the car essentially mid-engined. At less than 1.60 meters, the Purosangue is also clearly lower than all the competitors mentioned. The carriage disappears between the gigantic 23-inch wheels that look like the rims on a drawn concept car.

Uh sorry a V12??

Of course. Ferrari (for now) ignores all downsize laws and chooses its own way. No turbocharged V8, but the naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 from the 812 Superfast and Daytona SP3. It’s slightly modified compared to those sports cars. Thanks to, among other things, higher injection pressure of the petrol, it has more torque at lower revs and a slightly lower redline: 8,250 rpm. Good for 725 hp. It also sounds different, the super shrill of the 812 is gone, it is a bit deeper and more civilized. Partly because the exhaust is longer, but also because it suits this type of car better. But don’t think it’s a muzzle block: the sound is unparalleled in this segment. Crying and deep, full of character and emotion. You have so much power throughout the rev range that you can just leave the box in 3 for everything on a mountain road. But switching is more fun of course. The car got the eight-speed gearbox from the SF90, although seventh and eighth gears are longer for the long haul. The box is on the rear axle for good weight distribution.

The V12 revs at 8,250 rpm.

Will there be other engines for the Purosangue?

That is obvious given what Ferrari did with the GTC4 Lusso, which is succeeded by the Purosangue. It received a V12 at launch and later also a V8 with turbos under the name Lusso T. Perhaps Ferrari will do that again now, but the PHEV powertrain of the 296 GTB would of course also be ideal for reducing CO2 emissions. In terms of speed and power it makes no difference, the 296 has more than the V12 that is already there. Ferrari itself refuses to say a word about it: “We are here now for the Purosangue (with V12), we will not talk about anything else.” In any case, that is not a ‘no’, so we wait and see.

How does such a heavy thing drive?

An understandable question given the more than 2,100 kilos of the car. But the chassis is even more enchanting than the V12 this time around. The reason that the brand is now coming up with an SUV-like despite all the denials from the past, is that “technique has progressed so far that the car now drives sporty enough.” It’s more than a bad excuse, because the technology on the Purosangue has never been seen on a street car before. Ferrari has developed a form of active damping and active suspension that has progressed so far that the anti-roll bars have been removed. Now we see that with the thickest McLarens too, but there is still a hydraulic connection between left and right. Not here. The damping can be both slowed down and accelerated with small strong electric motors, and if necessary enough counterpressure can be applied to prevent body roll. But without sacrificing comfort. Everything is computer controlled so that no physical connection is needed between left and right. The new system is assisted by four-wheel steering and torque vectoring and the 4WD system that we know from the FF and the GTC4 Lusso.

And what does that mean in practice?

The result is simply stunning. The car drives really well. It has the famous Ferrari hotness and is definitely sportier than the low GTC4 Lusso it replaces. The turn-in, on winter tires, of all things, is extremely good, without feeling unnatural like in an Audi RS Q8. Turn in, give it full throttle and the electronics limit power without feeling it so you hurtle out of the corner on the edge of grip. Sometimes there’s a little sway from the rear, with the playfulness and wildness of a Ferrari that feels so familiar. The mighty V12 rages, sings and howls up to 8,250 rpm and the gearbox from the SF90 slams through the gears at a race pace. Yes, this drives like a Ferrari. No doubt. Zero. The soul is in it. The light but extremely direct steering, playing with the carriage… And what a light-footedness. It is not so much the magical techniques of the chassis that impress, but the fact that it all happens unnoticed. You are being helped, but you don’t feel it. Something we have seen for many years with the brand’s traction control. There is only driving pleasure on a level that only the great of the earth can deliver. This is way beyond a Cayenne GTS or BMW X6M in terms of dynamics and fun. How did they do it to him. And put the manettino back to Comfort and the car is also quieter, calmer and more comfortable than the GTC4 was. If that was a real Ferrari, the Purosangue is definitely it too.

Easy access to the back

Less fun for the people in the back

No, they have to hope that the driver will hold back, although they are very comfortable on the two separate seats. no normal handle but a tab at the window to open the opposite door electrically (if desired). This also makes access very easy; how different was that with the GTC4 Lusso where you had to work your way in along a forward folded front seat. In the back you will find two seats with a center console, a three-seater sofa will not be available. Leg and headroom are bizarrely good, you don’t touch anything and the chair offers perfect seating comfort. Both in terms of comfort over long distances and with lateral support if the driver really wants to drive the car like a Ferrari. You can also fold the rear seats forward to create a semi-flat load floor that can hold more than 1,000 litres. Do bring a blanket to cover the backrests. The trunk already has a neat 470 liters as standard, the two shelf parts that protect it can be neatly stored in the bottom when you fold things up. Passengers also get a nicely executed round control element for climate control and seat cooling and heating, and you can also adjust the seats electrically.

The space in the back is remarkably good

Tunnels are fun!

Anything else we should know about the Ferrari Purosangue?

A striking fact: Ferrari has made the striking choice not to equip the car with a navigation system. Most people use a smartphone for this anyway and a system in the car can never compete with it in terms of topicality, the Italians believe. Partly because Ferrari does not do over-the-air updates for privacy reasons. Simply use Apple Carplay or Android auto, both are standard on the Purosangue. It is a pity that your telephone input takes the place of the tachometer. You can switch quickly, but when driving it is nice to have both your rev counter and your map in view and that is not possible now. In addition, the operation with touch buttons on the steering wheel is finicky and unpleasant. Fortunately, the manettino is still a physical button.

No multimedia screen in the middle.

Is it expensive?

Doesn’t matter, because you can’t buy it for now. The car is not limited, but all production has a limit and since the unveiling the orders have gone so fast that the order book is full for years to come. And if we can no longer name a delivery date, we might as well halt the order intake, says Ferrari. The lucky ones who get one count at least €504,000, but that just adds a ton of options, that’s how it goes at Ferrari.