Did you know that SUVs now account for 6 in 10 new vehicles sold in Europe? That's even higher than in the US or China, where market share for lifted hatchbacks currently runs at about 40 percent. So when Ferrari decided to enter the segment with the Purosangue in 2023, it was a move that should be seen clearly within that context.

Four-seat Ferraris aren’t entirely unheard of: I remain a big fan of the looks of the shooting brake FF and GTC4Lusso—if not the reliability of the latter. But the test drivers in Maranello must have found something lacking with the way the Purosangue drove, because they got to work on an upgrade for the SUV, which debuted this week.

It’s a new Handling Speciale option featuring new active suspension calibration that better resists the body's roll, pitch and yaw. Ferrari says this makes the Purosangue feel more compact than its 16.3 feet (4.9 m) might suggest. Expect Ferrari's always-quick steering to feel even sharper.

The world of SUVs is changing fast: while you might be driving a 2-ton behemoth, Ferrari wants to make sure that the Purosangue isn’t just a regular SUV. It’s an SUV that can handle corners with the grace and agility of a racecar.