Pininfarina Pura Vision Concept previews an attractive electric SUV

Italian design house Pininfarina recently launched its own EV brand, with the 1874-horsepower hypercar Batista as its first model.

The company now plans to focus on higher-volume models, including an SUV heralded by the Pura Vision concept.

The Pura Vision will make its first public appearance on Tuesday and will make its official debut at the Monterey Car Week in California later this month. An early version of the concept was shown privately to potential buyers and select media, including Motor Authority, during the 2019 Monterey Car Week.

As the name suggests, the concept was shaped by the principles of Pininfarina's "Pura" design language. Pura design language, which means "pure" in Italian, is pure design in which form and function are one and the same.

The front end is very low and sleek for an SUV, featuring hidden headlights and low-profile daytime running lights that utilize nanofiber technology. The actual headlights are hidden within wide air intakes that run along the front edge of the hood.

A distinguishing feature of the Pura Vision is the greenhouse, a design directly inspired by the 1953 Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 Super Flow concept. Instead of a traditional frame, the roof of the Pura Vision has a fixed center section called a biscot, which links to the front windscreen and rear tailgate. This biscot also supports the large curved glass windows that form the rest of the cabin. The windows are hinged at the biscot and, when combined with the pillarless doors, form a wide opening for easy entry and exit.

Inside, a minimalist cabin greets the driver and passengers. A digital screen serves as the hub for the instrument cluster and infotainment, with many of the vehicle's controls integrated with the latter. According to Pininfarina, the seats are inspired by yacht design, particularly the foils of yachts, and the center console mimics the boom of a sail.

The Pura Vision is not a small car. At 205 inches long, it is about 6 inches longer than the Range Rover. Its overall width, including side mirrors, is 84.5 inches, in this case with a small camera mounted on aluminum rails that run along the edge of the roof.

No details on the powertrain were mentioned, but Pininfarina told MA at the 2019 show that the production version will produce up to 1,000 hp and use an off-the-shelf modular platform. Pininfarina did the same for the Batista, whose electric platform was sourced from Rimac.

Monterey Car Week runs from August 11 to 20. Pininfarina will also be making its local debut at this event with the Battista Edizione Nino Farina special edition and a production model, also designed according to the principles of the Pura design language. Pininfarina described the mystery model as a "different proposition" from the Pura Vision, suggesting that it may not be an SUV; for 2019, Pininfarina suggested a lineup of five models, including a sedan, a coupe, a convertible, and the Battista SUV and hypercar.