Catching up with the likes of the Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin’s DBX, the Porsche Cayenne, the Bentley Bentayga and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Ferrari has finally unveiled its first four-door SUV, adding another big hitter to the highly competitive Super SUV market.

Five years in the design lab, the Purosangue – a term used in horse world to mean pure blooded – was revealed in September 2022 with a starting price of $389,000.

The impressive Purosangue is an epic climbdown from the persistent messaging coming out of Ferrari HQ for decades that said the iconic Prancing Horse badge would never adorn an SUV. But the boom in the luxury SUV market in the last few years – coupled with the high profile launches of its rivals – meant Ferrari couldn’t ignore the trend any longer and therefore produced a supersized car for 2022.

At the UAE launch at Emirates Towers in Dubai, the Purosangue was introduced by Giorgio Turri, General Manager of Ferrari Middle East. Dieter Knechtel, President of Ferrari Far East & Middle East and Emanuele Carando, Global Head of Product Marketing at Ferrari, were also on hand to show off the Italian brand’s handiwork. The SUV later appeared at Yas Marina Circuit, home of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Ferrari says the Purosangue is a “peerless encapsulation of the Prancing Horse’s iconic DNA.” Sleek, sporty and elegant, the SUV’s chief talking point is the mid-front-mounted, naturally-aspirated V12 – the debut of the engine in this new configuration – to ensure the car unleashes more power (725 cv) than any other rival in the segment. Ferrari says the placement of the engine in the middle of the car improves handling, pointing out that most other SUVs have the engine positioned towards the front. The Purosangue may be big but it’s still nimble and can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and has a top speed of 310 km/h.

Other key features of the 8-speed beast include a brand new chassis that has a single-shell carbon-fibre roof with integrated soundproofing that not only keeps the weight down but also lowers the centre of gravity. Rear-hinged back doors catch the eye, while the 473 litre boot is the largest ever seen in a Ferrari. A luxurious and elegant cabin – featuring massaging front seats – is based on the Ferrari SF90 Stradale and can be expanded by folding the rear seats to increase the luggage space.

For the first time in Ferrari history, the cabin has four separate and independently adjustable seats. Designers had sustainability in mind when making the Purosangue and were able to use recycled materials for 85% of the launch trim. For audio lovers, this is the first Ferrari to incorporate a Burmester 3D High-End Surround Sound System which, even though powerful, won’t drown out that addictive V12 engine noise. Another first arrives with an air quality sensor that can analyse the air outside the car and improve its quality in the cabin by smart air recirculation control and use of filters that prevent particles from entering the car.

This combination of style, comfort and performance was central to Ferrari’s design philosophy and has created a SUV that is roomy and plush, but also fast, and a worthy rival to its fellow Super SUVs on the road.