2 new Ferraris coming to South Africa in 2023

The new Ferrari Purosangue and Roma Spider will make their official South African debut in the fourth quarter of 2023 as part of the local subsidiary’s 50th anniversary in the country.

This was confirmed by Smartgrowth Investments Proprietary Limited, which recently acquired Scuderia South Africa, the official Ferrari distributor in Southern Africa, through the purchase of all shares from the company’s previous shareholders.

“These certainly are exciting times for Ferrari in South Africa and we look forward to supporting this amazing brand under the new ownership structure,” said André Rossouw, new Chief Executive Officer at Scuderia South Africa.

“Our world-class showrooms will continue to provide a unique glimpse into the world of Ferrari. It remains a hub where customers and enthusiasts can appreciate the vehicles and learn more about the proud heritage of the brand.”

Ferrari’s first SUV

The Ferrari Purosangue is the legendary Italian marque’s first step into the crossover/SUV segment, the Prancing Horse’s response to the likes of the Aston Martin DBX, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, and Rolls-Royce Cullinan,

The SUV employs Ferrari’s famous 6.5-litre, V12 engine generating 533kW and 716Nm without any forced-induction trickery, paired up with an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox that directs the tremendous power to both axles through a torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system adapted from the hardcore 812 Competizione.

Helping the two-tonne Purosangue feel as nimble as its low-slung siblings, it further boasts four-wheel steering and an active suspension system distributing 49% of the weight to the nose and 51% to the tail to achieve “handling and performance completely unprecedented in a car of this size and shape,” said the manufacturer.

If it hooks up right, it lunges to 100km/h in a brisk 3.3 seconds and to 200km/h in 10.6 seconds, with a top speed in excess of 310km/h on the books.

Those who can afford the Purosangue will be enjoying a hefty fuel bill alongside it, too, as the super SUV manages a combined fuel usage of 17.3l/100km, with the worst-case scenario being 30.3l/100km.

Not only is the SUV-esque shape of the Purosangue a first for Ferrari, but also its cabin – which is accessible through a set of suicide-style doors – that features four separate, independently-adjustable seats split between two rows.

The seats share the same shape as the pilot’s to ensure everyone enjoys the driving experience cocooned in a leather glove and not thrown about on a bench.

Moreover, the SUV shows off a new dual-cockpit cabin design bringing two 10.25-inch screens on the dash, one for the driver which displays the typical info you’d find on an instrument cluster such as speeds and performance modes, and one for the front passenger so that they can also “participate in the driving experience,” said Ferrari.

It is also geared for comfort with a heated steering wheel, adaptive LED headlights, suspension lift kit, wireless charger, and heated seats for each passenger, while simultaneously providing a sporty atmosphere courtesy of a carbon fibre steering wheel and side sills, 22-inch wheels at the front and 23s at the back, and LED daytime-running lights integrated into sleek air intakes.

Standard safety and assistance systems are plentiful, too, as buyers can expect adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, auto high-beam assist, lane-departure warnings, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, driver drowsiness and attention monitoring, and a rear-view parking camera.