Ferrari swore it would never build an SUV, but in the automotive market, that’s a ridiculous problem to make for itself. So Ferrari’s solution is to make an SUV anyway and just not call it one—like any rational, mature automaker would do.
Ferrari will build an SUV, apparently codenamed the F16X and said to be based on the GTC4Lusso, but it’s going to call it an ‘FUV’ instead of an SUV, according to industry analyst Max Warburton via Autocar. That’s ‘Ferrari Utility Vehicle’. You kidding me?
And it gets surprisingly funnier. Ferrari is so worried about avoiding confronting the idea that it’s making an SUV, it’s going all extra and engineering its ‘FUV’ to somehow hide the fact that it will have four doors, according to Autocar:
Last month, Ferrari’s commercial boss Enrico Galliera told Autocar: “We are not producing an SUV, because an SUV is not a sports car – it can be fast, but it’s not a sports car. We are not producing a four-door because, while a four-door can be fast, it’s not a sports car.”
He added: “Ferrari has to remain consistent, doing what we know to do, which is delivering cars that are able to deliver emotion. Sports cars.”
However, Warburton claims it is a “question of semantics”, stating that while Ferrari management continues to tell investors that it will not build an SUV or a model with four doors, the rear doors will not be visible and will instead “use a clever hidden arrangement”.
First of all, Ferrari, SUVs masquerading as “coupes” is almost the industry standard for normal SUVs these days. Those don’t fool anyone, and yours probably wont fool anyone. And we all know that competition like the Bentley Bentayga, Range Rover Sport, Porsche Cayenne, upcoming Aston Martin DBX and the Lamborghini Urus are basically necessary nowadays so automakers can continue to bankroll ridiculous hypercars.
It’s OK. Build your SUV. We understand. Don’t hide what you’ve become, Ferrari. Please, please just do not ever publicly call it an “FUV.”