Ferrari’s Purosangue is the latecomer to the ultra-high-performance, ultra-exclusive sport utility vehicle party, which includes BMW’s XM, the Audi RSQ8, Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin DBX, and, on a slightly different plane but all occupying the same price spectrum, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the Bentley Bentayga Speed.

With Ferrari being Ferrari (and resolutely Italian), the Purosangue comes with a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 which sings glorious arias versus the turbocharged howl of the V8s in its category, save some of the last units of the Bentayga Speed, which was still powered by a W12 but needed turbochargers to match the Purosangue’s output, a mind-blowing 725 hp and 716 Newton-meters of torque. Supercar territory.

The Purosangue shares its architecture with the Roma, Ferrari’s entry-level model, and its all-wheel-drive system with the GTC4 Lusso. The 8-speed dual clutch is buttery smooth at low speeds, the upshifts seamless, and acceleration suave. It’s not as grunty as the turbocharged V8s but there is an elegance about the linearity of the V12’s power delivery versus the urgent and seemingly uncouth dollops of grunt from the boosted V8s. Only the Bentley’s W12 twin-turbocharged power is as progressive, if not as melodious, as Ferrari’s V12.

This particular Purosangue is loaded with options, pushing the price tag to an eye-watering 64 million pesos, making this the most expensive car I’ve driven in the Philippines. The only other car I’ve ridden in that costs more was a Porsche 918 Spyder. A new favorite for nepo babies and their cong-tractor folks.Ferrari’s distinct rear welcome doors (apparently Maranello hates people calling them “suicide rear doors”) are a unique talking point for the Purosangue: they give visual drama to simply getting in and out, and at a practical level, do make entry and exit somehow easier. The only other cars that have suicide-opening rear doors are those of the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Cullinan.Inside, all four seats are deeply sculpted buckets, finished in a rich and vibrant cream. It feels intimate, luxurious, even sensual. But also, for such a very expensive vehicle (at Php64,000,000 with numerous optional extras), the interior also feels quite sparse. Its rivals appear much more hi-tech. But then again, only the Ferrari has that glorious V12. And as they say, you buy an engine from Ferrari, and everything else is a bonus!The dual-cockpit interior works well and is perhaps the only hint of high-tech in the Ferrari. A large LCD display greets the driver and is configurable to display whatever info the driver prefers. The front passenger gets a screen as well but can only be viewed by the occupant straight on, preventing the driver from looking and getting distracted. There aren’t many physical buttons available, and the haptic feedback touchscreen/touchbutton is standard. The steering wheel has the optional rev-counter display as well. Ferrari though has listened and will be adding more hard physical buttons in future models. Perhaps we’ll see these changes on a later update or facelift of the Purosangue. The Ferrari seems quite sensitive to heat. We tackle our makeshift hillclimb rally stage repeatedly, taking turns until we’ve tried every conceivable stunt or speed through the curves and corners, and you notice the Purosangue gets just that bit more labored each time we have a go. Whatever it is, the Ferrari isn’t liking the heat, soaring to the low 40s on the day of the shoot.The Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes bring a halt to our shenanigans, and the sticky Bridgestone Potenzas are oozing off their essence in the intense midday heat. The exhaust gases are an inferno, the menacing V12 hot enough to restart a dying star. But despite all this, the Purosangue doesn’t skip a beat. The tactile steering is confidence-inspiring at speed, encouraging on a cruise and reassuring slogging through traffic. The Purosangue feels hefty but alert and responsive. Previous Ferraris felt like lead sometimes, too delicate a flower easily blown by the wind.The Purosangue, being a proper high-performance vehicle, comes with massive double staggered wheels and tires: massive 22-inch front wheels wrapped with 255/35R22 Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires, and even larger 23-inch wheels with 315/30R23 Bridgestones. It makes the equally enormous 398mm front with 6-piston calipers and 380mm rear Carbon-Ceramic rotors with 4-piston calipers from Brembo look rather shy behind the massive wheels.

Crucially, how does it actually drive? In a word: decisive.

The Purosangue feels intimate, immediate, alert, and responsive as SUVs go. It’s the poster boy for handsome ‘utes with its sharp, chiseled looks but crucially, the Purosangue has the moves to match the looks.Steering is sharp and responsive, the brakes powerful, if a bit sensitive at low speed, and the suspension, along with the steamroller tires, provides so much mechanical grip even over very bumpy and dusty roads.The Purosangue obliterates straights in effortless speed while carving corners like a vehicle half its weight and size. The wide spread of power allows the hefty Ferrari to be quick and nimble on its feet, picking itself up from hairpins and attacking sharp ascents, the glorious V12 delivering a finale all the way to redline in a powerful staccato of revs.

It’s Achilles’ heel? The lack of a dedicated off-road driving mode and the 185mm ground clearance, practically comparable to a regular sedan. The Porsche, Audi, Bentley, and Lambo all have one. The Ferrari is joined by the Aston and the BMW in having no off-road mode. Even the Rolls-Royce Cullinan has an off-road mode!The Purosangue would be the perfect all-road, all-weather grand tourer through Europe’s Mediterranean coastline, starting in Gibraltar, Spain; tracing the Levante; up to France’s Région Sud (the French Riviera and Côte d’Azur); all the way to the Italian Riviera; heading southwards again all the way down to Sicily and running the Mille Miglia.

The Ferrari Purosangue demands a truly epic drive enjoying sun, sand, and sexy beaches.  It truly is, the Ferrari of sport-utility vehicles in feel, in shape and in sound with the heart of a thoroughbred Champion.