Only Two Automakers Are Brave Enough To Build A V12 SUV In 2025

V12-powered road cars are pretty rare beasts nowadays; V12-powered SUVs even more so. The combination of an SUV body and a V12 engine is not one many automakers have chosen to venture into, largely because there are plenty of options out there that offer better fuel economy and less eye-watering price tags. Even the Bentley Bentayga has dropped its 12-cylinder engine of late in favor of a V8 hybrid.

• 2024 Ferrari Purosangue

  Engine

  6.5L V12 Gas

  Horsepower

  715 hp

  Torque

  528 lb-ft

  Transmission

  8-speed dual-clutch automatic

  Drivetrain

  All-wheel-drive

• 

  2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan
  

  Engine

  6.75L Twin-Turbo V12

  Horsepower

  563 hp

  Torque

  627 lb-ft

  Transmission

  8-Speed Automatic

  Drivetrain

  All-Wheel Drive

In some cases, however, money’s no object and fuel economy is not high on the list of priorities. Both Ferrari and Rolls-Royce are in this camp: they are the only two automakers whose lineup currently includes an SUV powered by a V12 engine – the Purosangue and Cullinan, respectively. Let’s explore the last two members of this unique category.

The Ferrari Purosangue

The Purosangue is Ferrari’s very first SUV, and caused quite the stir among Ferrari purists and car enthusiasts in general when it was first introduced in 2022. That being said, even the Prancing Horse itself is reluctant to actually use the word “SUV” when referring to it; despite the fact that it undeniably had to build an SUV-shaped vehicle to keep up with the changing automotive market, Ferrari is still keen to cling to its roots, as hinted by the name – Italian for “purebred”. The firm went as far as creating its own acronym, FUV (Ferrari Utility Vehicle) to use when referring to the Purosangue.

Design

The Purosangue’s design is, of course, quite different from that of all other Ferraris, being the brand’s first vehicle to have both four doors and four seats. That being said, Ferrari is right in not calling it an SUV; it doesn’t quite have the required shape or sufficient ground clearance to be classified as one. Instead, it’s more of a crossover, incorporating elements of other Ferrari four-seater cars such as the GTC4Lusso and the Roma. Despite the Purosangue’s large size, it has a sleek, sloping silhouette; its large (22/23-inch) wheels complete the picture, creating an aggressive stance.

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A wide range of colors is available, including classic Ferrari favorites such as Rosso Corsa (Race Red) and Giallo Modena (Modena Yellow). Customers can also choose from nine different colors for their Purosangue’s brake calipers, including yellow, red, and blue.

Powertrain & Performance

The Purosangue is powered by the F140IA engine, a naturally aspirated 65-degree 6.5-liter V12. The engine is packed with clever technology, including a system that automatically detects the octane of the fuel being used and adjusts timing accordingly. Naturally, fuel economy is not the priority here: the Purosangue only achieves 12 mpg on the combined cycle.

The suspension is also high-tech, ensuring maximum comfort for the car’s occupants by varying its behavior depending on road conditions and driving style. Instead of traditional anti-roll bars, the Purosangue employs active roll mitigation technology.

Interior & Tech

Inside the Purosangue, traditional Ferrari features (such as the button-rich steering wheel and yellow rev counter) take precedence over the sort of features you would expect to find in an SUV; remember, this isn’t an SUV, but an FUV. That being said, comfort is still a priority, with high-end materials being used throughout the cabin and several touchscreens allowing passengers to operate climate control functions. There is no traditional central infotainment screen; instead, the Purosangue gets a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster and a separate 10.2-inch screen in front of the passenger seat.

All four seats are heated; while the driver seat is 14-way adjustable, the front passenger seat is ten-way power-adjustable. Functions such as seat ventilation and massage are available as optional extras.

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan

The other V12 SUV currently on the market is the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, first unveiled in 2018 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy. Named after the Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond ever found, this ultra-luxury SUV is the first all-wheel-drive vehicle produced by Rolls-Royce. In May last year, the Cullinan’s Series II was revealed, with a number of interior and exterior design updates.

Design

The 2025 Cullinan has been refreshed inside and out. On the front end, new air intakes have been added and the Pantheon grille design has been given an update. The squared, boxy silhouette is still there, but a few lines have been added to make the front end resemble the bow of a yacht (at least, according to Rolls-Royce’s creative vision). New 23-inch wheels, sporting a three-dimensional seven-spoke design, are another addition for this year.

The Black Badge trim adds extra styling elements, such as high-gloss black exterior trim (yes, that includes the Spirit of Ecstasy) and chrome elements with a mirror-like finish, produced by a unique electrolyte process.

Powertrain & Performance

The Cullinan is powered by a 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12, which is tuned differently depending on trim: in the “standard” Cullinan it produces 563 hp, while in the Black Badge the output is 592 hp. In both cases, the engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Unlike in the Ferrari, which is more performance-oriented, the main focus in the Roller is on providing a smooth, high-end travel experience for occupants, and in that domain the Cullinan excels.

Interior & Tech

The Cullinan’s interior has been modernized slightly for 2025, with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen (powered by Rolls-Royce’s Spirit software) that’s permanently visible and no longer concealed, as it was on previous models. Naturally, all the comfort bells and whistles one would expect are there: both front and rear occupants can enjoy heated, ventilated, and massaging seats, controllable individually by each passenger via separate interfaces.

A wide range of high-end materials makes up the Cullinan’s interior, including some new additions for the Series II such as Duality Twill (bamboo fiber cloth inserts) and Grey Stained Ash wood trim. The seats’ leather can also be personalized with perforations, shaped to display artwork according to the customer’s individual preference.

Other V12-Powered SUVs From History

The V12-powered SUV is not just a rare beast today: it has always been an unusual type of vehicle, and there have only been a handful produced throughout automotive history. Here are a few examples of SUVs sporting V12 engines from the past.

Audi Q7 V12 TDI

Audi’s effort towards popularizing diesel in the early 2000s started with their V12 diesel-powered Le Mans winner, the R10 TDI. A couple of years later, the Q7 V12 TDI was introduced to the world. The twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 that powered it was exclusive to this particular model (which made it a rarity in the automotive world). It was a way for Audi to advertise the capabilities of diesel, which was being touted as the future of green propulsion at the time. Of course, things didn’t quite go in that direction: the Q17 V12 only lasted five years on the market, and the Dieselgate scandal put an end to the automotive industry’s hopes for diesel.

Lamborghini LM002

Lamborghini may have caused a stir in the modern era with its Urus SUV, but its attempts at building an off-road vehicle started decades ago, with the V8-powered Cheetah prototype in 1977. Although the Cheetah was plagued with issues and was never adopted by the US military as Lamborghini had originally hoped, the company persevered: first with the LM001 (another one-off prototype), and then with the LM002 which managed to achieve a small production run of 301 units. The LM002 was powered by the 5.2-liter V12 already found in the Countach; its mileage figures were predictably low, achieving just 8 mpg.

Mercedes-Benz AMG G65

Most of us are familiar with the legendary “G-Wagon” that has become a coveted status symbol for VIPs around the world. However, there is one variant of this model that isn’t as talked about. The G65 was introduced globally in 2013, and was only available in the United States for four model years, between 2015 and 2018. It was powered by a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12, which did not do much to improve its performance figures: the G65 was only 0.1 seconds faster to 60 mph than a V8-powered G-Wagon of the time, and had the same limited top speed (143 mph). This, along with the eye-watering price tag of $223,000, contributed to its short lifespan on the market.

Sources: Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Audi, Mercedes-Benz.