“You would have to shoot me first.”
That was Mr. Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Ferrari when he was asked if we could expect a prancing horse logo on a SUV. Well, that was in February 2016 and a lot has changed since then including, possibly, Ferrari’s game plan.
UK-based Car Magazine claims to have received proof that Maranello is working on building a sporty cross-over, evidently code-named the F16X which it expects to roll out by 2021.
The SUV craze is not something we are new to, here in India. Globally too, even the luxury SUV segment is increasingly being flooded with offerings from some of the most niche car manufacturers. The hundred-odd bookings from India that the Bentley Bentagya managed to garner even before its launch is proof that ultra-rich buyers won’t hesitate in shelling out a hefty sum for an exclusive SUV.
Now, Ferrari seems to be eyeing a piece of the pie with a raised GTC4Lusso cousin in development behind closed doors at Maranello. It is being expected that it would carry an all-Aluminium architecture with an all-wheel drive system derived from the GTC.
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Car Magazine claims that new suicide doors will also make their way to the SUV for better access. The SUV might also be the second car from the brand after the LaFerrari to feature a hybrid powertrain.
The round-about in the decision to build an SUV might have come since Ferrari is now a publicly-traded company and entering this sector could help the brand achieve a sales figure double of the present 8,000 units by 2022.
The child inside us, however, would like to believe that it is the interest that the upcoming Lamborghini Urus has generated that has Ferrari concerned. The fight between the bull and the stallion rages on, and every automotive enthusiast in the world will win.