Ferrari has seemingly bowed to the inevitable and is
working on a ‘secret’ project that will culminate in the first-ever SUV bearing
the Prancing Horse emblem. Reports out of Europe suggest that despite
repeatedly and long denying it would ever build an SUV, it seems the project is
now in full swing at the company’s Maranello headquarters.
The UK’s CAR magazine has blown the lid on the ‘top
secret’ project, reportedly known inside Ferrari as F16X, which is set to take
on the likes of Lamborghini’s still-to-be-released Urus SUV and Aston Martin’s
DBX crossover.
CAR magazine also revealed the F16X, reportedly due
in 2021, will come in either V8 petrol or hybrid versions. The high-riding
soft-roader is also likely to feature suicide rear doors, eliminating those
pesky b-pillars.
According to the report, the F16X is likely to be
twinned with the next-generation GTC4 Lusso, due for replacement in 2020 and
will share the GTC4’s aluminium architecture and all-wheel drive platform.
It’s expected the F16X will hit showrooms with a
sticker price in excess of € 300,000 and according to insiders, will
double Ferrari’s annual sales to around 16,000 vehicles.