Aznom Palladium is a Ram Pickup Turned Into a Hyper-Limo
Aznom, a little-known Italian company founded in 2006 and specialized in the customization of production vehicles, has unveiled a new “hyper-limousine” project designed for tackling any terrain with style and grace. Meet the Palladium.
The car is inspired by ultra-high-luxury sedans from Rolls-Royce and Bentley as well as the iconic Cadillac Escalade SUV, but it rides on the chassis of a Ram pickup—seriously. According to Aznom founder Marcello Meregalli, it’s the road-going version of a world-class yacht and therefore is aimed at an extremely select type of customer.
“Our main company has always dealt with wine and I spend many days visiting remote farms and vineyards. In those situations a 4x4 off-road vehicle is truly necessary,” he explains. “And how many times have I seen sedans stuck on the road to ski towns in the winter. The car that I had in mind had to be beautiful, luxurious, comfortable, but also unstoppable!”
Measuring just shy of two metres in height and almost six metres in length, the Aznom Palladium is powered by a twin-turbocharged variant of FCA’s 5.7-litre HEMI V8. It delivers 710 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque via an eight-speed automatic transmission and part-time 4WD system. An eTorque mild hybrid system is available for increased efficiency.
The suspension, which features a five-link rear setup and Frequency Response Damping shock absorbers, offers four setup configurations with different ground clearance for each. Those shocks react in a split second by opening or closing the valves according to the situation. The Palladium is backed by all the modern safety and driver assistance systems you can think of, including several cameras and sensors providing 360-degree visibility and protection.
The exterior is the result of a collaboration with Italian design studio CAMAL and combines smooth lines with lots of muscle. Most of the body panels are made of steel or aluminum, the exception being the carbon fibre hood and roof as well as the composite bumpers.
Up front, the massive chrome grille is flanked by LED headlights. On the sides, between the 22-inch wheels, you’ll find contrasting rocker panels that hide power-retractable side steps. Meanwhile, the coupe-like rear incorporates tiny windows in the super-large C-pillars. A side-hinged tailgate provides access to the trunk.
What about the interior? All touch points including the headliner are thickly padded and wrapped in Foglizzo leather for maximum comfort. Aznom compares to rear seats to thrones, with passengers also being treated to a refrigerator, crystal glasses and bottle, a powerful Harman Kardon sound system and two Microsoft Surface X PRO tablets. A full set of luggage pieces, manufactured with the same leather and stitching as the cabin, is optionally available.
Production of the Aznom Palladium will be limited to just 10 units that will be tailor-made for each customer—most of them from the U.S., the Middle East, Russia and China. The company says they will be assembled by hand with “maniacal care” and passion to retrace the steps of famous Italian coachbuilders. Unfortunately, the base price has not been disclosed.