The Ferrari Purosangue was the first stab at a four-door vehicle by Ferrari and as expected it differs from the SUV rulebook. Ferrari does not even call it an SUV because the Purosangue does not adhere to the traditional SUV template. It is simply a replacement for the GT4 Lusso. The SUV can be seen as a practical Ferrari with four doors but with a wild V12 stuck ahead in its gigantic bonnet.
Hence, it is a four-wheel drive Prancing Horse but with the soul of a proper thoroughbred as explained by its name. However, one must view the Purosangue against this fast-changing marketplace which has been growing over the years.
Ferrari Purosangue: V12 engine under its hood
The performance SUV space is now expanding and branches into the extreme luxury like the opulent but fast Bentley Bentayga to the stately Rolls Royce Cullinan while on the other hand cars like the Lamborghini Urus and the Aston Martin DBX 707 are at the pointy end.
The Purosangue veers to the extreme of both with an indulgent cabin design but the V12 gives it a personality that is not seen elsewhere. There is a caveat though as unlike rivals, the Purosangue is much rarer and more expensive while coming as a four-seater only.
Lamborghini Urus
Yet it also looks different and more intriguing with shades of the GT Lusso. The haunches and the long bonnet are surely design cues plucked from a V12 supercar while the rear styling is now more coherent. It is a massive car though and has presence as do some of its rivals. The Urus in its new hybrid form also has sharp looks while the DBX 707 comes with slashes of performance enhancing details which adds menace to its looks.
Extreme luxury
Lamborghini Urus
The performance SUV space has grown leaps and bounds but the Purosangue is at the extreme end with being a supercar with more doors. The driving environment is low and focused while a lot of the controls are around the driver but the layered centre console is indeed interesting.
Materials and quality are top notch of course and like rivals you can customise it even. Surprisingly the rear seats have a lot of space here and so is the luggage capacity. The same can be said for the others. That is partly why these cars are successful because they also work as everyday cars.
Aston Martin DBX 707
Purosangue: Charismatic all-wheel drive
In the driving experience, the Purosangue is completely different from any other SUV or even performance estate with its melodic V12 being the star of the show and the raised supercar demeanour. It is much more driver focused and is not meant to go off-road but more of a GT with corner carving abilities.
It is a Ferrari for all seasons and that is the premise here. The Urus and the DBX 707 veer more towards edgy performance with a loud V8 strapped in both. The Urus has also some environmental conscience being added in with its hybrid powertrain. It does seem that the Purosangue expands the all-weather performance supercar genre and isn’t really an SUV while being the most charismatic all wheel drive car ever.
Lamborghini Urus
As far as the Lamborghini Urus is concerned, the new SE Hybrid turns up the wick even further but is a sharper SUV in a conventional mould while being exemplary on all surfaces. The Aston Martin DBX 707 relies on its sonorous V8 powertrain and its charms more but is also a practical luxury SUV.
In short, these three can do much more than what a supercar can yet still posses the breath of abilities which makes them more appealing than your garden variety SUVs.
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Aston Martin DBX 707
Somnath Chatterjee grew up around cars and most of his childhood was spent obsessing over supercars. Years later he decided to start writing about them and hasn’t looked back since. While he has had his fair share of cars, the world of automobiles never ceases to amaze him. Travelling all over the world to drive them along with sharing that experience is what ultimately keeps him going. He hopes to drive a Ferrari 288 GTO someday because, well, do you really need a reason?
