Following yesterday’s revelation that Italian luxury sports manufacturer De Tomaso was back in business, the De Tomaso SLC has been revealed ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1.
The ‘Sport Luxury Car’ (a working codename that will be replaced before production) is described by De Tomaso as a large all-wheel drive crossover, clearly styled in the mold of the BMW 5 Series GT.
Designed by famous Italian artists Pininfarina, the SLC is, to be honest, a little underwhelming.
The front, while clean, lacks the character and emotion we expect from red-blooded Italian designs, while the back is a flat, bland, American-looking slab.
The interior shows a little more potential, with an intricate diamond pattern stitched into the leather seats, a large display screen and a sweeping centre console.
The SLC promises to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, however, with three high-performance engines to power the vehicle from launch: a 184kW V6 diesel, a petrol-powered 221kW V6, and a range-topping 405kW V8.
De Tomaso initially plans to build 3000 SLCs per year and prices are expect to range from 100,000 euros to 130,000 euros ($135,000 to $175,000) when it goes on sale, potentially towards the end of this year.
Those after a more traditional Italian sports car should not lose all hope, however, as De Tomaso plans to follow the launch of the SLC with a sedan and a coupe, promising better performance and sleeker styling.
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