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Maserati Grecale and Alfa Romeo Tonale delayed

MILAN — Maserati on Monday delayed the launch of its new Grecale SUV until the spring of 2022 from November this year due to a global chip shortage. The announcement by the luxury brand, part of Stellantis, comes as a shortage of semiconductors forces automakers around the world to slow or suspend production. Maserati said its decision stemmed from ongoing disruptions in the supply of parts. "In particular, due to a scarcity of semiconductors, production volumes would not adequately meet expected global demand," Maserati said in a statement. A global premiere for the Grecale, which will be produced in Cassino in central Italy, was initially scheduled for Nov. 16. Stellantis this month also confirmed it would present the Tonale, the new Alfa Romeo SUV, next March after it had been expected at the end of this year. Stellantis, formed this year though the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, has halted production at several plants, including in Europe and Canada, due to the chip shortage. It has forecast it will produce 1.4 million fewer vehicles this year. The FIM-CISL union has said the impact of a semiconductor shortage on Stellantis' Italian production this year will be worse and longer-lasting than the damage to output caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Related video:

Maserati GranTurismo EV reappears in spy photos

Maserati made it clear that it was working on a new electric sports car last year, and that it would be a successor to the GranTurismo sports coupe. The car has reappeared in these spy photos, and they give us a better look at the car than the official teaser images. The camouflage also appears to feature an additional name. Let's first talk about the name. In addition to the regular Maserati name, the camouflage now has another word: "Folgore." Translated from Italian, it means "lightning" or "thunderbolt." Maserati brought up this name a couple years ago when it started talking about its future electric vehicles, and it first referenced an electric version of the MC20 mid-engine sports car. So this confirms this prototype is electric, and that it will probably be known as the GranTurismo Folgore. As for the looks, the Folgore actually looks a whole lot like the internal-combustion car it will replace. That's no bad thing, though, since the old coupe is still a looker. The front fascia has the most obvious changes with a grille that's more of a simple oval shape, still bearing a large Maserati trident. The headlights are more vertical now, which helps tie it to the MC20. Looking at the rest of the car, the proportions are still very classic with a long nose and short deck, despite not needing that front-end space for an engine. The fenders are still voluptuous, and the rear lights are similarly shaped to the old car, though much slimmer. We're expecting to see the GranTurismo Folgore revealed this year, which is slightly later than Maserati initially planned. The MC20 Folgore powertrain previewed a couple years ago featured three electric motors, one at the front and two at the rear, and it would likely be carried over to the GranTurismo. Power was estimated at more than the combustion MC20's 620 horsepower. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Maserati Levante will borrow Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid's PHEV powertrain

The plug-in hybrid tech from the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan will move seriously upmarket into a future version of the Maserati Levante crossover. The PHEV model should arrive around early 2018 or possibly the end of 2017, division boss Harald Wester told Motor Trend. Wester was blunt about the reason for using the minivan's powertrain. "A standalone program would be suicidal so we have to look at FCA," he said to Motor Trend. However, he expects the PHEV to comprise a tiny portion of the luxury CUV's sales volume – possibly as low as six percent. The Pacifica Hybrid will be the first PHEV minivan in the US when it arrives in the second half of 2016. The powertrain combines a 3.6-liter V6 that runs on the more efficient Atkinson cycle, and two electric motors, which are in the gearbox. A 16-kWh lithium-ion battery under the floor stores the energy for the system. Chrysler estimates the setup can carry the minivan 30 miles purely on electric power and achieve 80 MPGe. The first examples of the Levante should arrive in the US in August, according to Motor Trend. Maserati plans initially to offer its luxury crossover here with two twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6s. Base models use a version with 350 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. The S trim gets some extra grunt thanks to a tune that makes 430 hp and 427 lb-ft. Both models come with an eight-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, and a limited-slip differential. The Maserati will have a fleet of posh, European crossovers to fight against, and the PHEV will possibly offer an edge to entice a few green-minded, wealthy customers. Related Video: