The upcoming Pininfarina Battista electric hypercar with 1,900 hp of exhilarating output is indeed something worth waiting for from Automobili Pininfarina. Just recently, the Italian car designer - now also a carmaker - confirmed plans to follow up the hypercar with four more electric vehicles headlined by a performance utility vehicle.
The arrival of the second model was announced by Pininfarina executives -- Chief Executive Officer Michael Perschke, Chief Design Officer Luca Borgogno and Chief Sales Officer Jochen Rudat -- during a private briefing ahead of the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show. Overall, Pininfarina plans to offer five electric models by 2025.
During the private briefing, Pininfarina said the second model will be previewed by the PURA Vision concept that was teased to a selected audience during the 2019 Monterey Car Week. But before we label it an SUV, Perschke was quick to note that the PURA Vision isn't one, as it is an S-LUV or Sustainable Luxury Utility Vehicle.
Borgogno, meanwhile, revealed that the PURA Vision was compared against the Lamborghini Urus (an SUV) and the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo (a shooting brake). So, we should expect the final body form of this new model to be a cross between these two body styles.
Borgogno further disclosed that the PURA Vision design concept will be unveiled to the public at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August 2020. As per Pininfarina, the production version of PURA Vision will be a perfect mix of performance, luxury and comfort. It will also feature a plush and luxurious cabin.
Featuring a raked cabin covered by an all-glass roof flowing without interruption to the rear windshield, the PURA Vision features suicide doors. But these doors will remain in concept form as the production version will have conventional doors with electric door handles. The concept rides on large 24-inch alloy wheels.
In terms of dimensions, the PURA Vision measures more than 16.4 feet (5 meters) in length, 6.56 feet (2 meters) in width and 5.2 feet (1,588 mm) in height. It sits nearly 2 inches lower than the Urus, for a ground clearance of around 6.3 inches (160 mm).
As for its base, the PURA Vision is underpinned by a high performance EV platform developed by a strategic collaboration between Pininfarina, Bosch and Benteler. According to the company, this skateboard-looking platform will be made available to third party customers.
As revealed at the event before the LA Auto Show, the production version of the PURA Vision will be powered by an electric motor at the front and two motors at the rear, for a combined output of 1,000 hp. It will have a range of between 310.7 miles (500 km) and 341.8 miles (550 km).
The new Pininfarina S-LUV will be hand-built at an Italian facility that the company plans to acquire in 2020. Initial deliveries of the S-LUV will commence in 2022.
(Via Automobili Pininfarina, AutoCar India and Auto Express)