Whenever Ferrari unveils a new car, it tends to attract considerable admiration from people all over the globe, and quickly becomes the embodiment of luxury speed on wheels. The latest rumoured project, which has been confirmed by sources linked to CAR Magazine, will certainly draw its fair share of attention too, but possibly for different reasons. Ferrari’s take on an SUV/Crossover is indeed being developed, which comes at quite a shock to us. The current CEO Sergio Marchionne was quoted mere months ago saying, “we will not play with SUVs”.
After Porsche had devised the lucrative Cayenne and subsequently the more accessible but equally prosperous Macan, the hype-train of luxury sports utility vehicles was ploughing at full speed. Lamborghini has been teasing the stunning Urus for a while now, and pre-orders have already been made public. Maserati came up with the Levante, Bentley awed us all with the pristine Bentayga, and Jaguar presented us the sleek F-Pace. Meanwhile Rolls Royce and Aston Martin will not risk missing out on this bankable segment of the market, and are expected to release their own luxury SUVs in the near future. So, sport coupe producers and high-end luxury sedan makers deciding to venture into the world of SUVs is no longer uncommon. Yet, the move from Ferrari is still bewildering. Only two years ago former Ferrari CEO Amadeo Felisa assured us that it just wasn’t going to be happen: “It’s not that we’re not planning an SUV for now — we’re not planning one at all”.
The crossover, codenamed F16X, is expected to be a 4 door SUV coupe that fits into a similar segment as that of the GTC4Lusso: a comfortable, yet powerful, cruiser. Consisting of a V12 hybrid-powertrain, it will be the first hybrid Ferrari since the LaFerrari. Combine the know-how of a LaFerrari battery-pack with the 4-wheel drive expertise devised from the FF, and you’re looking at a potent prancing horse with some serious off-roading capabilities. Finally, we no longer depend on just Tax The Rich to see a Ferrari driving off-road.
It has further been rumoured that the F16X will feature suicide rear doors. Not only will this look absolutely mega, but it will also eliminate the need for a b-pillar, thereby making entering and exiting the car more accessible. How the development of the car will proceed exactly, along with further technical specifications, is something we will keep you updated on within the coming months.
