Remember all those times that successive heads of Ferrari have said they’d never do an SUV? Yeah, well they are. And it’s not just a rumor any more.
“It will probably happen but it will happen in Ferrari’s style,” CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters on a financial-earnings conference call. “That space is too big and too inviting and we have a lot of our customers who will be more than willing to drive a Ferrari-branded vehicle that has that king of utilitarian objective.”
Despite earlier pronouncements, the near-confirmation comes as no great surprise given the swirling reports of late and Marchionne’s recent record of having lead both Alfa Romeo and Maserati to launch their first crossovers in the respective forms of the Stelvio and Levante. Other high-end European marques like Bentley and Jaguar have recently launched their first crossovers, with Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and Rolls-Royce soon to follow suit – all based on the success of the Porsche Cayenne.
Bloomberg reports that official confirmation for the Ferrari crossover will likely come at the beginning of next year when the automaker presents its five-year plan to take it through 2022. If approved, the vehicle would stand to double both the company’s production and its profits.
Reuters emphasized that, according to Marchionne, the planned crossover would steer clear of compromising the brand’s values and image. “Whatever it is, it will be of the same caliber as anything else we’ve done,” said the chief executive, embodying “Ferrari style” but not “being able to climb rocks.” Instead we’re coming to expect something more along the lines of the all-wheel-drive GTC4 Lusso, but jacked up with an extra set of rear doors disappearing into the bodywork.
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