“Looks Like a Kia”: Ferrari Luce Reveal Leaves SA Unimpressed as R15m Price Tag Stuns Mzansi

“Looks Like a Kia”: Ferrari Luce Reveal Leaves SA Unimpressed as R15m Price Tag Stuns Mzansi

Ferrari pulled the wraps off the Luce in Rome on Monday, unveiling its first fully electric car. The four-door liftback carries a starting price of around R10.5 million at current exchange rates, with local pricing expected to climb well past R15 million. South Africans were not impressed, with many saying the car simply does not look like a Ferrari.

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A picture of the EV Ferrari. Image: AnonomousWolf
Source: UGC

The Luce was designed with the help of former Apple design chief Jony Ive and packs over 1,000 horsepower from four electric motors. It seats five people and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in around 2.5 seconds. Deliveries are set to begin in the final quarter of 2026.

Mzansi calls it a Kia with a Ferrari badge

South Africans took to social media almost immediately after the reveal dropped online. Many felt the design looked nothing like a Ferrari and called it a mockery of the brand. One person said it could have been made by Kia or Renault, not Maranello. Others said there is no way to make it look good, no matter how you configure it.

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The backlash was not limited to South Africa either. Ferrari’s own global community reacted strongly, with dozens of posts flooding car forums within hours of the announcement. Many longtime fans felt the brand had gone too far in a new direction.

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According to reports, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna was upfront about expecting a divided response from customers. The Luce is a regular production model and sits alongside Ferrari’s existing petrol and hybrid lineup. The brand plans for electric cars to make up just 20% of sales by 2030.

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Jim Mohlala avatar

Jim Mohlala (Editor) Jim Mohlala is a Human Interest writer for Briefly News (joined in 2025). Mohlala holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Media Leadership and Innovation and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He started his career working at the Daily Maverick and has written for the Sunday Times and TimesLIVE. Jim has several years of experience covering social justice, crime and community stories. You can reach him at jim.mohlala@briefly.co.za

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