When you think “Pininfarina,” you probably think “hypercar” or “high-performance,” not “sedans and SUVs.” But, according to CEO Michael Perschke, you might actually see a full range of Pininfarina vehicles on the market sometimes in the next three years.
Automobili Pininfarina, the Munich-based Italian automaker, is reportedly seeking out partners who will help it create a platform that would enable them to produce sedans and SUVs, Automotive News Europe reports. Those models could start rolling off the production line in less than three years.
Of course, a Pininfarina sedan isn’t going to be your usual run-of-the-mill car that just anyone will be able to buy. Perschke predicts they’ll cost €200,000-400,000 ($223,593-447,186)—not exactly the vehicle your average middle-class family will be buying to take the kids to soccer practice.
Here’s more from Automotive News Europe:
The $2.2 million Battista, which was revealed at the Geneva auto show in March and goes into production at the end of 2020, was designed as a limited-edition halo model that will be followed by cheaper models.
“It’s our clear strategic intent is to become a significant player in the hypercar and super-luxury segment,” Perschke said. “We have a very clear intent to not remain a one-hit wonder.
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This isn’t the first time Pininfarina has introduced a sedan. The 2012 Cambiano was introduced as a way to highlight how eco-friendly tech could be implemented in a sedan, but it never really made it past the concept stage. Pininfarina is now promising actual production models.
Interestingly, potential customers will be the ones to determine the order in which the new cars will arrive. They’ll be shown examples of previous Pininfarina concepts and make their decision based on those body styles. But the company is definitely anticipating a certain brand of customer; the first discussions will take place at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach.
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Here’s more from Automotive News Europe about how this whole thing is supposed to work:
Automobili Pininfarina plans to partner with an unnamed Tier 1 supplier to develop a so-called “skateboard” electric platform for the next range of cars to cut down on investment costs. The company would also try to sell the platform to other brands to help defray the costs, Perschke said. All the cars would have battery packs of between 100 and 125 kilowatt hours to give a range of up to 600 km (372 miles).
Perschke ruled out approaching Volkswagen Group about buying the rights to use the PPE electric platform being developed by Audi and Porsche because it did not allow enough height to develop the SUV Pininfarina is planning.
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Even the country of production is up for debate. Pininfarina hopes to manufacture in Italy but admits that the country isn’t as up on the EV tech as countries like Germany, France, or the UK.
There’s an awful lot that needs to be sorted out before Pininfarina can actually start designing and producing cars—and all of it in the next three years.
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