Ferrari’s First EV, The Luce, Unveiled In India: Love It Or Hate It?

Ferrari’s first-ever EV, called the Luce, has made it to Indian shores. When it was globally unveiled back in May, it got a lot of attention, mostly polarising. The Luce takes a completely different direction for a Ferrari product. Firstly, as an EV, and secondly, as a new take on design. Having mixed reactions and slowly making its way to different countries, let's explore what the Luce is now that it has made its way to India.

Ferrari Luce: Design

Until more than a decade ago, Ferrari cars were designed by a company called Pininfarina. They made some of the most iconic-looking Ferraris we grew up looking at. However, with the Luce, Ferrari had taken help from a company called LoveFrom and specifically from the founder, Jony Ive, to design the Luce. The company have been popular for designing tech products like the ones by Apple. 

Their work with the Luce comes with a typical LoveFrom design theme. Minimalist, industrial and modern. 

Up front, the Luce has a sloping two-layered design allowing air to flow through the fascia, giving it better aerodynamics and a unique double-layer look. The LED DRLs on either side sit neatly like two eyebrows, while the LED headlamps sit hidden right below them.

The side profile shows that this is the largest Ferrari ever made. At 5 metres long, with the large 23-inch front wheels and the 24-inch rear wheels, it is hard to believe from pictures that this is as big as the numbers say.

The long raked windshield and the low nose give it a fast look, while towards the rear, it has a slightly stubby-looking design. The black accent panel on the front door adds character and bears the Ferrari logo. Meanwhile, the body-coloured section creates a character line from the front to the rear end and is neatly executed.

At the rear end, the twin round LED tail lamps on either side, sitting in a black accent panel, hark back to older, more traditional Ferrari elements. While the idea is nostalgic, the execution is questionable. Meanwhile, the layered design carries on here as well.

Ferrari Luce: Interior

The industrial and minimalist part is found mostly here as well. You will find retro and modern-looking elements executed with high-quality materials and detail. The layered dashboard design has a floating touchscreen infotainment system which can be moved to face any direction.

However, another nostalgic touch inside is the steering wheel, which is finished in aluminium and leather with a thin rim and clicky physical buttons. This is tastefully opposite to most EVs out there. The digital driver’s display also has a retro theme with retro-looking dials in a round housing. 

The overall cabin, like in most EVs, feels spacious, airy and minimalist thanks to the lesser drivetrain hardware compared to traditional ICE cars. 

The rear seat passengers have ample space with their own rear climate control.

Ferrari Luce: Features And Safety

Ferrari has never been about pampering their customers with features. However, the Luce does include a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This comes paired with a 21-speaker sound system. The Luce also gets multi-zone climate control, a panoramic glass roof, adaptive suspension, and drive modes.

Safety highlights include multiple airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), front and rear parking sensors, hill hold assist, a 360-degree camera and Level-2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems). 

Ferrari Luce: Powertrain

The Luce comes with a 112 kWh battery pack mated with four electric motors. Detailed specifications are as follows:

The Luce has DC fast charging capabilities of up to 350 kW. 

Ferrari Luce: Expected Price And Rivals

The Luce has just been revealed in India, and prices are still under wraps. However, we expect it to be priced around Rs 8.5 Crore (ex-showroom). The closest competition to the Luce would be the Porsche Taycan Turbo and the upcoming Tesla Roadster.

ZigSays…

After the initial shock of the global unveiling of the Luce, its acceptance has been softer lately. Among traditional Ferrari enthusiasts, this has not connected well, keeping in mind Ferrari’s beautifully sculpted designs and symphonic V12s. However, these new-age EV designs are to cater to a younger audience who are more environmentally conscious and connect better with EVs. 

However, credit where it's due, the new approach to the cabin is a far cry from the interiors of Ferrari we know. The fit and finish, quality of materials and interaction scream retro-modern and luxury. Something which no other Ferrari comes close to. 

What do you think about the Luce? Let us know in the comments below.