The Pininfarina PURA Vision concept is the first electric luxury utility vehicle
In honor of its 94 years of exquisite and sophisticated car design, Automobili Pininfarina is launching the Pininfarina Pura Vision concept, an opulent SUV that made its public debut at Monterey Car Week in California earlier this year. The Pura Vision is now merely a concept car, but the manufacturer promises that it represents a step forward in the company’s design philosophy for future models.
The new Pininfarina Pura Vision concept is being referred to as an electric luxury utility vehicle, or e-LUV. With its long nose proportions, beautiful greenhouse, short overhangs, pillarless doors, and lower detailing, it’s unlike any luxury SUV we’ve seen yet. Reportedly, the 1947 Cisitalia sports car—the first car ever to be featured in the design collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)—was the main inspiration for the low hood and high fenders of the Pura Vision.
“Pura Vision is the bridge from our present to an exciting new chapter in the history of Automobili Pininfarina,” said Paolo Dellachà, Chief Executive Officer at Pininfarina. “In our fifth year, we have already celebrated our unique heritage with the introduction of the Battista Edizione Nino Farina. Pura Vision previews an exciting future and shows what can be achieved if we apply our Pura design principles to an entirely new kind of vehicle.”
The greenhouse really is the true star of the show here. The panoramic glass roof of the Pininfarina Pura Vision concept gives the interior a feeling of lightness and space. It also has single-piece side windows that open upward and tri-opening pillarless doors. Taking inspiration from the Lancia Florida saloon, the suicide doors open fully, allowing access to all four of the seats within.
The interior and the car’s elegant top were both influenced by sailing yachts. The center console is evocative of a sail boom, and the “floating” front seats are suspended above the water like a foiling sailboat. The dashboard and door tops are covered in charcoal leather, while the seats are finished in a brilliant white. Anodized aluminum and carbon fiber accents are used extensively, much like on the outside.
“Much more important than simply a concept previewing one forthcoming vehicle, Pura Vision presents a sharp, modern design philosophy inspired by the rich heritage of Pininfarina and defining an unmistakable recipe for a collection of beautiful new luxury cars,” Dellachà added.
