Ferrari brings thoroughbred Purosangue to Korea

Dieter Knechtel, president of Ferrari Far East and Middle East Hub, poses with the Purosangue SUV during a press event held Friday at the Maiim Vision Village in Yeoju, Gyeonggi. [FERRARI]

YEOJU, Gyeonggi — Ferrari introduced the Purosangue to the Korean market Friday, the first-ever SUV from the 75-year-old brand.

Korea is the first Asian country to get the four-door, four-seat vehicle.

Equipped with a twelve-cylinder gasoline engine, the SUV boasts a maximum speed of 310 kilometers (193 miles) per hour. It only takes 3.3 seconds to go from zero to 100 kilometers per hour.

The Purosangue adopted a completely different layout and innovative proportions compared to other SUVs, Ferrari said. The average SUV engine is mounted forward in the car, almost straddling the front axle with the gearbox coupled to it. The Purosangue, however, has a mid-front-mounted engine with a gearbox at the rear to create a sporty transaxle layout.

“The Purosangue is the perfect answer to a request that has been coming for many years -- for a car that allows our clients to drive with the family in a four-seater," said Dieter Knechtel, president of Ferrari Far East and Middle East Hub, during a press event held Friday at the Maiim Vision Village in Yeoju, Gyeonggi.

"Encapsulating the Prancing Horse’s iconic DNA, Ferrari has created a car that is unique on the world stage, which is a 100 percent sports car with more roominess, more space and more versatility.”

Ferrari Active Suspension was added to the car for the first time, which delivers the same performance and handling response as in one of the brand’s sports cars.

It generates a maximum of 725 horsepower and 73 kilograms-meter of torque.

Purosangue means thoroughbred in Italian.

The price for the Korean market has not been decided, but Ferrari said it will start in the mid-500 million won ($350,000) range.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]