A Ferrari SUV and electric supercar are currently in development, showing that even the most iconic brands are not immune to changes involving consumer preferences and technology.
The Ferrari SUV will happen despite previous statements that there will never be one, while the Ferrari electric supercar will challenge Tesla in the high-end automobile market.
Ferrari SUV Will Be The Fastest One
A couple of years ago, Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which owns Ferrari, was asked whether there will soon be an SUV for the brand.
"You have to shoot me first," he said.
Things have now drastically changed, as Marchionne revealed at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show that not only is there a Ferrari SUV in the works, but it will also arrive earlier than expected.
According to Marchionne, the Ferrari SUV may be unveiled as soon as late 2019. The FCA CEO did not divulge any specific details about the vehicle, but he dismissed notions that the FUV, or Ferrari Utility Vehicle, will be built like a truck.
"It will look like whatever a Ferrari utility vehicle needs to look like," Marchionne said. "But it has to drive like a Ferrari," he added.
Marchionne went on to say that the Ferrari SUV will be the fastest one in the market, a distinction currently held by the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio.
The announcement of the Ferrari SUV, however, has outraged purists of the brand. However, the SUV segment is currently highly profitable, so it is understandable for the FCA to push Ferrari to follow the footsteps of its rival luxury brands, such as with the Lamborghini Urus.
Marchionne, however, admitted the sensitives around the Ferrari SUV and promised that the vehicle will not be "just a utility vehicle."
Ferrari Electric Supercar Will Challenge Tesla Roadster
The surprises do not end with the Ferrari SUV, as Marchionne also announced that there will soon be a Ferrari electric supercar.
"If there is an electric supercar to be built, then Ferrari will be the first," Marchionne said. "People are amazed at what Tesla did with a supercar: I'm not trying to minimize what Elon did but I think it's doable by all of us."
Marchionne's statements can be considered interesting, as he previously downplayed the need for major carmakers to invest into electric vehicle technology. The CEO believes that only luxury electric vehicles will be profitable, though, which is probably why Ferrari was the one tapped by FCA to venture into the space.
Like the Ferrari SUV, details on the Ferrari electric supercar are scarce. However, Marchionne indicated that the vehicle will arrive to the market before the new Tesla Roadster is released in 2020.
