It’s only been three years since then CEO Sergio Marchionne killed off any hope of a Ferrari-branded SUV. In fact, back in 2016 he said, according to Bloomberg Business, that it would only happen “over my dead body.” Well, God rest his soul (he passed away on July 25, 2018) but, sure enough, the Ferrari Purosangue is scheduled to arrive by 2021. Even better yet, we’ve learned some new details, none of which is more important than the potential for Ferrari’s 6.5-liter V-12 to continue its reign as Ferrari’s range-topping engine.

Ferrari Purosangue – The Worlds First FUV

What the hell is an FUV? That’s pretty much a fancy, Ferrari way of saying SUV, but we’ll roll with it for now. With that in mind, we still don’t know a lot about it. Based on some information released by Ferrari back in September of 2018, we have the notion that it will be more of a coupe-ish SUV, something similar to the BMW X4 or X6.

With that, we also learned that it would offer up four-wheel drive and a low center of gravity thanks to a front-mid-engine configuration. The whole thing would be built on a modular architecture that would allow for a variable wheelbase, rear-mounted transaxle transmission, and variable rear clearance. However, this isn’t the most important takeaway from today's unveiling of information.

Ferrari Purosangue Hybrid and V-12 Power

We knew based on the information given back in 2018 that the Purosangue was designed with a hybrid system in mind, but at the time we didn’t know much about engine options. A year later, almost to the day, in September of 2019, we learned that the Purosangue’s architecture could be scaled to support a V-6, V-8, or V-12, but with emissions regulations, we were always skeptical about the V-12 voicing its opinion in Ferrari’s first SUV or what role hybridization would play in the V-12’s application here.

The way it sounds now, according to the report from AutoExpress, is that but it won’t be offered with electrification. The main reason behind this is – according to Chief Marketing Officer, Enrico Galliera – is that the V-12 and big electric batteries would just make the Purosangue too heavy. Would it be too heavy for the Purosangue to emit the Ferrari vibe everyone expects? Yeah; probably, so don’t expect Ferrari to ever do it.

However, that doesn’t mean that the hybrid drivetrain is out of the question. That’s actually where the scalable architecture comes into play. Since the Purosangue is able to support a full engine lineup from 6 to 12 cylinders, Ferrari will likely offer the hybrid drive system with a smaller V-6. The mid-range V-8 is also possible, but the V-6 is more likely.

How Will the Ferrari Purosangue’s Hybrid Drivetrian Work?

In the information released back in 2018, the graphic depicted the hybrid drive system being integrated into the rear of the vehicle, somewhere ahead of the transaxle transmission on the rear axle. but it won’t be the sole source of power to the rear wheels as that would make the Purosangue predominately front-wheel-drive, and that’s not going to happen. We know that it will probably be AWD, so expect the hybrid portion of the drivetrain to supply some power to the rear axle for some added performance any possible some all-electric range. I wouldn’t expect a lot, but 15-20 miles of range isn’t necessarily out of the question, especially since the hybrid models are expected to be of the plug-in variety.

The other option here is that the hybrid drivetrain will actually be located at the front axle and could send power exclusively to the front end while the engine powers the rear wheels. This would make packaging a little easier if AWD was based on the hybrid drivetrain as it would eliminate the need for extra driveline components and could help keep weight in check. If that’s the case, however, the range-topping model with the V-12 would be limited to RWD only, so there’s going to be some give and take if this is indeed the case.

The Ferrari Purosangue Will Take DNA from the 2019 Ferrari Roma

However, we’ve also learned that the Purosangue will borrow some styling cues from the Roma as well. Now, we don’t think that the Purosangue will be a high-riding version of the Roma, but it could be a Roma with a higher roof, which would mean the front end would look nearly the same. Of course, the debut is still at least a year away with the most likely unveiling being either the Geneva Motor Show in March of 2021 or a private event. Knowing Ferrari, a private event is probably on the top of the list.

Final Thoughts

It’s really hard to point out the irony that falls between the late Sergio Marchionne’s comment and the upcoming debut of a Ferrari SUV. That notwithstanding, the fact that a V-12 model is being considered is a huge plus, and the hybrid model, if it also features a V-8 won’t exactly be a slouch either. This could actually turn out very good for the brand, even if there are a few purists out there ready to riot in the streets. I wouldn’t expect the Purosangue to open the door for more SUVs in the future, but it will certainly make its make. If the popularity of the Lamborghini Urus is any indication the Ferrari Purosangue will probably be a big hit as well. The question now is whether or not Ferrari can build an SUV...ahem FUV… and still manage to make it drive like a Ferrari – not that’s what I’m interested in finding out. Time will tell it seems….