Maserati: Spyder Gt Convertible 2-door on 2040-cars

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Lightning strikes behind the grille of Maserati's first hybrid model

Maserati's first production-bound hybrid powertrain will be inaugurated by the Ghibli, its entry-level model. The Italian firm released a short preview video to announce the model's imminent global debut. Posted on its official Facebook page, the 10-second-long video shows the front end of a Ghibli with blue lightning crashing across its grille, a feature that will presumably not be available on the production car. Although it doesn't reveal the hybrid's final design, let alone what's behind the grille, the flick confirms the gasoline-electric Ghibli will not look drastically different than the gasoline-only model. Minor trim differences will set the two sedans apart. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. As we've previously reported, we expect the Ghibli will receive a plug-in hybrid drivetrain (rather than mild or standard hybrid technology) capable of powering it on electricity alone for short distances. It will stand proud as the first in a long line of electrified Maserati models, because every car the brand releases in the coming years will incorporate some degree of electrification. Additional hybrid models are in the pipeline, and the replacements for the GranTurismo and GranCabrio due out in 2021 and 2022, respectively, will be Maserati's first electric cars. Maserati will introduce the hybrid Ghibli online on July 16 at 1 p.m. in Modena, Italy, which is 7 a.m. in New York City and 4 a.m. in Los Angeles. Additional information (including details about American availability) will be published right after the car breaks cover, and deliveries are tentatively scheduled to start before the end of 2020. What's next? The on-going COVID-19 pandemic side-tracked Maserati's plans, but 2020 remains on track to become one of the most significant years in the company's 106-year long history. It's putting the final touches on a mid-engined coupe tentatively called MC20 that will receive a new, 630-horsepower V6 engine developed in-house. The two-seater's unveiling is now scheduled for September 2020, and it will hit the track shortly after its introduction.

2014 Maserati Ghibli snarls in Shanghai

Big things are happening at Maserati, where the automaker is looking to increase its sales to 50,000 units annually. In addition to the revised Quattroporte that we saw at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, Maserati has launched the all-new Ghibli here in Shanghai - a smaller, more driver-focused model that will take on the likes of the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
At launch, the Ghibli will be offered with three six-cylinder engines, two gas and one diesel. The base engine is a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 330 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, good for a 0-62 time of 5.6 seconds. The more powerful Ghibli S, however, comes with a twin-turbocharged version of this engine, good for 410 hp and 406 lb-ft, reducing that 0-62 time to just five seconds flat. On the diesel end, the Ghibli will offer a 3.0-liter diesel V6 with 275 hp and 443 lb-ft of twist, able to do that same 62-mile-per-hour run in a still impressive 6.3 seconds. The more powerful Ghibli S will also be available with Maserati's new Q4 all-wheel-drive system, though we're told that this feature cannot be had on right-hand-drive versions.
As for what we can see here in Shanghai, the Ghibli looks pretty darn good, though that front fascia reminds us an awful lot of the BMW 3 Series. (Seriously, just picture the Bimmer with a more gaping grille opening.) Maserati will offer the Ghibli with standard 18-inch wheels, though 19s, 20s, and even 21s will be available as optional extras.

Fiat Chrysler open to mergers, and PSA is looking for one

GENEVA — Fiat Chrysler (FCA) is open to pursuing alliances and merger opportunities if they make sense, but a sale of its luxury brand Maserati is not an option, Chief Executive Mike Manley said on Tuesday. "We have a strong independent future, but if there is a partnership, a relationship or a merger which strengthens that future, I will look at that," Manley told reporters at the Geneva Motor Show. Asked whether he would consider selling Maserati to China's Geely Automobile Holdings, as suggested by recent media reports, Manley said: "Maserati is one of our really beautiful brands and it has an incredibly bright future. ... No." FCA is often cited as a possible merger candidate. Bloomberg said this week that the Italian-American carmaker was attractive to France's PSA Group given its exposure to the U.S. market and its popular Jeep brand. The Detroit News' headline on the situation Friday read, "Fiat Chrysler CEO open to a deal as PSA circles" and stated that Manley's open-to-just-about-anything comments were aimed directly at PSA. Bloomberg said talks between the two were preliminary and said PSA chief Carlos Tavares has also contemplated mergers with General Motors or Jaguar Land Rover, which is losing money for Indian owner Tata. PSA has enjoyed a decade of turnaround and has $10.2 billion in net cash available. The maker of Peugeot, Citroen and DS, acquired Opel and Vauxhall in 2017 and made them almost instantly profitable. Manley, who took over after the death of Sergio Marchionne, said he currently had no news on possible deals. Manley also said the world's seventh-largest carmaker, which is lagging rivals in developing hybrid and electric vehicles, would take the least costly approach to comply with increasingly more stringent European emissions regulations. "There are three options. You can sell enough electrified vehicles to balance your fleet. Two: You can be part of a pooling scheme. Three is to pay the fines," he said. "I don't see a scenario when (carmakers) continue to subsidize technologies ... indefinitely." The carmaker had said last June it would invest 9 billion euros ($10.19 billion) over the next five years to introduce hybrid and electric cars across all regions to be fully compliant with emissions regulations. Asked about a 5-billion-euro investment plan for Italy FCA announced in November but then put under review, Manley said the plan had been confirmed as originally presented.