CARS OF THE WORLD

Aznom Palladium 2021.

The Aznom Palladium sedan will debut this fall.
Italian atelier Aznom has promised to introduce the Palladium off-road luxury sedan to the world at the beginning of this fall.

The dates have shifted slightly — and now it looks like the craftsmen from Monza will show the finished car at the Milano Monza Open Air Motor Show at the end of October. But the firm does not give an exact date. For now, let’s talk about what is known.

The word Palladium is not just the chemical element palladium. It also has another meaning — protection, stronghold, bastion, citadel.

According to studio Aznom, with this name it hinted at spacious and luxurious residences built by Italian architects. At least in space, the authors did not miss: the car is almost six meters long and two meters high.

Aznom founder Marcello Meregalli also emphasizes the tradition of Italian ateliers, with handcrafted body panels similar to the interior. “We chose endangered artisanal technologies,” Meregalli said.

There is little technical data, but the announcement mentions the V8 5.7 engine. Nowhere is it said whether the atelier’s car itself will be built from scratch (this is unlikely) or if it will take another car as a basis.

However, the 5.7 unit, the ability to drive on difficult terrain and the all-wheel drive promised immediately give a hint: the chassis and components can be taken from one of the American large pickups.

It may turn out to be Ram 1500. Moreover, there is already a precedent for such a redrawing by the atelier from Monza (see our «Bonus»). In Palladium, the 5.7 engine will receive two turbochargers and will deliver more than 700 forces and 883 N • m.

Bonus

In 2018, Aznom turned the Ram of the last generation into an off-road sedan. It turned out Atulux (All-Terrain Utility Luxury), a car with a spacious interior trimmed in Alcantara, nubuck and wood, with a refrigerator, a coffee machine, an Xbox One console, screens on the ceiling, an audio system with ten speakers, air suspension, reinforced brakes (eight-piston calipers) and a 401-horsepower V8 5.7 engine.

It is equipped with a twin-turbo 5.7-liter V8.

Have you ever wanted to drive a luxury sedan based on the Ram 1500 pickup? Well, Aznom Palladium is a whimsical project that manufacturers call a «hyper limousine.»

The company intends to release only 10 pieces, so if you think that this beast looks scary, you shouldn’t expect that they will become common on the roads.

Design.

Palladium has a striking appearance, although perhaps not in a very positive sense of the word — it all depends on your preference. Its length is 5960 millimeters. The front end is a two-tone paint job with a small grille that has pillar lights in the center and narrow headlights around the edges.

The sedan’s chunky design and textured rear fenders are reminiscent of the now defunct Bentley Mulsanne, but on a much larger scale. A trapezoidal window in the massive C-pillar is a graceful design touch.

Things get really weird from behind. Raised roof sections flow back to the shorter rear. However, if you look closely, there is neither a traditional sedan trunk, nor a door like a station wagon or hatchback. Instead, the entire bumper extends, revealing a (what else to call it?) Storage box.

Under the hood is a 5.7-liter twin-turbo V8 that develops 710 horsepower and 900 Newton-meters of torque.

The eTorque mild hybrid system is available as an option. Power is transmitted via an eight-speed automatic transmission to an all-wheel drive system and an electronically locked differential.

According to Aznom’s estimates, the car can accelerate to 100 km / h in 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 210 km / h.

Inside, the dashboard clearly indicates a relationship to the Ram pickup. The dashboard, rotary gear selector and massive infotainment display are all from the pickup.

To make the car special, Aznom uses high quality materials for upholstery and finishing.

The company is positioning this luxury vehicle for people who want to ride comfortably in the rear. So this requires a personal chauffeur. The rear has amenities such as its own air conditioning, refrigerator, and Harman Kardon audio system with two Microsoft Surface X Pro tablets.