Image by Zoerides, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Image by Zoerides, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nobody wants to call it a SUV, if you call it like that in front a Ferrari engineer, probably they won’t like it at all.
The Purosangue is not a crossover they say, it is not meant to be lumped with Uruses or Cayennes.
While it might sound like clever marketing, take one drive, or even watch someone attack a corner in it, you will understand: the Purosangue really doesn’t behave like any SUV we have seen before.
However, it bends the very idea of what a tall, four door, V12 powered SUV can do.
It starts with the suspension (That thinks for itself)
The trick begins even before the engine starts, Ferrari engineers developed a wild new suspension system for this model, called Active Suspension with Multimatic TrueActive Spool Valve tech.
What that means? The suspension adjust itself continuously and not just to road bumps but to how the car is about to react.
So what if you go into the corner? The car leans less, not more, accelerating? It counters nose lift, also breaking hard it reduces dive and it does all this without air springs, a huge deparature from what Porsche or others use.
So what this system really means? It reads the road 500 times per second, using sensors and motors on each corner to actively push or pull the suspension in real time.
So what the result of it at all? Flat, confident handling and even though you are technically sitting in a 4-door family Ferrari car.
Low center of gravity, tall body?
Despite having a 6-foot tall profile, the Purosangue handles like a much lower sports car.
That’s partly because the engine is front-mid mounted, meaning it’s pushed far back toward the cabin, lowering the center of gravity and improving weight distribution (49:51, front to rear).
The gearbox is mounted at the back—just like in classic Ferraris.
Even the seating position is deceiving. You feel slightly elevated, yes, but not disconnected.
There’s no vague steering, no wallowy body motion. It feels like a GTC4Lusso or a Roma from behind the wheel, not an SUV.
The Power Delivery Is Pure Ferrari Madness
No turbos. No downsizing. No hybrid fluff. Ferrari gave the Purosangue a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12, revving all the way to 8,250 rpm. It makes 715 horsepower and sings like an old-school Ferrari GT.
But here’s the twist: it sends power to all four wheels, thanks to Ferrari’s unique 4RM-S system. At low speeds, a separate front transmission adds torque to the front wheels.
At high speeds, it acts more like a traditional RWD sports car. The transitions are seamless. You feel grip, not complexity.
It’s not just fast in a straight line—it’s addictively agile. And that’s rare, even among the sportiest SUVs.
No rear bench, no compromise
In most SUVs, the second row feels like an afterthought. Not here. Ferrari ditched the bench and gave the Purosangue four individual sport seats, each heated, powered, and bolstered.
It’s a cabin meant for grand touring, not just school runs. The center console splits the rear with a sense of occasion, not compromise.
That also helps with weight distribution and chassis rigidity—no flexy bench seat, no wobbly feel in fast bends.
It’s tall… but it acts like a Ferrari
On paper, it looks like Ferrari caved to the SUV trend. But spend a few minutes driving it—or even watching one on a track—and that illusion fades.
The Purosangue doesn’t behave like any high-riding car. It corners with precision. It dances with grip. It accelerates like something angry and alive.
You don’t feel like you’re piloting an SUV. You feel like you’re driving a front-engined V12 Ferrari that just happens to let you bring friends along.
So, Is It an SUV?
Technically? Sure. It has four doors, all-wheel drive, and a raised ride height. But spiritually? Not even close.
The Purosangue was Ferrari’s way of saying, “Fine, we’ll make a practical car—but on our terms.” No turbos, no lazy dynamics, no shared platform with Fiat or Jeep.
Everything is bespoke. Everything is engineered to still feel like Maranello, not Stuttgart or Sant’Agata.
And that’s why it doesn’t drive like an SUV—because Ferrari never let it become one in the first place.
