Could an SUV Be in the Cards for Ferrari? What Students in Car Mechanic Training Need to Know

Much to the surprise of many traditional luxury car lovers, more and more extravagant brands have been jumping on the SUV and crossover bandwagon. One of the only upscale brands that has not taken the plunge so far is Ferrari. Known for producing sleek and exclusive sports cars with incredibly high price tags, the Ferrari brand doesn’t seem to align with SUVs. However, like anything in the automotive industry, things change, and rumour has it that the first Ferrari SUV may be on its way.
Read on to learn more about Ferrari’s potential new endeavor.

Ferrari’s CEOs Have Had Strong Objections to Making an SUV

Would Ferrari’s late founder and avid race car driver, Enzo Ferrari, be rolling in his grave at the thought of Ferrari creating an SUV? Up until now, Ferrari has stayed true to its race car roots. Students in car mechanic training may remember that Ferrari’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, was even quoted saying he’d rather be shot than let the brand premier an SUV. However, it seems he’s had a change of heart.
In an interview with analyst Adam Jonas, Marchionne stated “I would deserve to be shot, if we didn’t allow Ferrari engineers to reinvent the vehicle to have some utilitarian [features], to travel through uncharted territory.” He even added that, “It will probably happen but it will happen in Ferrari’s style.”

What Can Students in Car Mechanic Training Expect From a Ferrari Utility Vehicle?

What would utilitarian features with Ferrari style entail, exactly? While no one knows for sure, it’s fairly safe to assume that if Ferrari does venture into the SUV market, it will stay true to its renowned exclusivity, style, and luxuriousness. Some sources have stated that a Ferrari SUV would likely be a four-seat, family-oriented vehicle comparable to Ferrari’s new spacious two-door, four-seater GT4CLusso.
The question remains, though, why the change of heart from Ferrari’s leadership? The answer is that Ferrari is looking for a new way to move beyond its current sales figure of 10,000 vehicles per year. In fact, it would like to double its profits by 2022, and what better way to do that than by launching a vehicle never before offered by the brand? In addition, it’s undeniable that consumer demand for SUVs is high. In 2017, luxury CUV and SUV sales in Canada grew 17 per cent, while luxury passenger car sales dropped by 4.5 per cent.

Students in Car Mechanic Training May Notice the Rise of the Luxury SUV Sector

Although Ferrari’s CEO did confirm that some sort of utilitarian vehicle is in the works, he remains steadfast in his assertion that Ferrari won’t go down the same path as other luxury automakers like Porsche, for example.
Porsche broke into the luxury SUV segment over a decade ago with the Porsche Cayenne. Like Ferrari, many luxury car enthusiasts were wary. However, the model was a hit and has brought luxury SUVs to the masses—which is exactly what Ferrari doesn’t want to do. Ferrari’s SUV will remain something most car buyers dream about owning, but will likely never drive away with.
Graduates of automotive training programs likely know that Porsche isn’t the only luxury brand to break into the high-end SUV market. Maserati’s SUV Levante showcases the brand’s classic Italian style and comes equipped with an 8-speed gearbox, while Jaguar’s F-PACE is beating out every single one of Jaguar’s passenger cars in sales.

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