A decade or so ago, the very thought of a Ferrari or Lamborghini SUV was laughable. Just because Porsche found success with its Cayenne didn't necessarily mean Italy's exotic brands would as well. But times change and the demand for ultra-exclusive SUVs has increased. The Bentley Bentayga started this and was soon followed by the Lamborghini Urus. Other new players include the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the upcoming Aston Martin DBX. And then there's Ferrari. We know it's currently hard at work developing an SUV of its own, though it's not slated to arrive until 2022. Ferrari knows it can take it's time, but only for so long.

Now that Lamborghini has set super SUV benchmark, Ferrari is ready to show it who's boss. Car and Driver has an updated report about what will likely be under the Ferrari SUV's hood.

Currently codenamed "Purosangue," Italian for "thoroughbred" or "pure blood," the new Ferrari will likely be powered by a turbocharged V8 instead of a V12. This makes sense because Ferrari wants the Purosangue to have something the Urus does not: hybrid power. Chances are the Purosangue will offer a serious amount of hybrid power assistance alongside the V8. The goal is to surpass the Urus' 641 hp, which shouldn't be difficult to achieve given the hybrid factor. At the bare minimum, the Ferrari Purosangue will have 650 hp and a very generous amount of torque.

We honestly wouldn't be surprised to see it hit the 700 hp level. Ferrari is investing a serious chunk of change in its SUV program by way of developing an all-new front-engined platform. It will incorporate a rear-mounted transaxle and there's a high likelihood the front axle will be electronically powered.

Is it possible Lamborghini could also add some sort of hybrid boost system to the Urus? Absolutely. Just look at the Bentley Bentayga plug-in; both SUVs ride on the same basic platform. One thing is for certain though: Ferrari does not like to be second place. Expect the Purosangue to debut with a ridiculous amount of power that will force Lamborghini to do better. And once it does, Ferrari will be ready. Again. The 2022 Ferrari Purosangue will arrive with a price tag of least $350,000.