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Ghibli PHEV will launch Maserati's electrification offensive

The hybrid variant of the Maserati Ghibli  announced in 2019 is allegedly scheduled to make its public debut during the 2020 Beijing Motor Show. The yet-unnamed model will launch the Italian brand's electrification offensive. Sources familiar with Maserati's plans told Automotive News Europe the Ghibli hybrid will greet the public for the first time when the Beijing show opens its doors on April 21. Going hybrid in China makes sense on several levels. It's an important market for Maserati, the current-generation Ghibli (pictured above) broke cover at the 2013 Shanghai auto show, yet it's a country it has struggled to gain a secure foothold in. Adding electrified options to its range could give its annual Chinese sales a big boost because officials are promoting cars with a plug to curb pollution. There's no word yet on what kind of hybrid technology the Ghibli will receive, though Automotive News Europe speculated it will be a plug-in setup capable of powering the sedan on electricity alone for short distances. Similarly, it's too early to tell if the Italian firm will drop a hybrid powertrain into the Ghibli as we know it and push it to the market, or if it will also make visual, tech, and other mechanical updates to the seven-year-old model. Maserati hasn't commented on the report, and it hasn't announced when the Ghibli hybrid will make its debut; it only pledged to release the model in 2020. Similarly, we don't know if the sedan will be sold in the United States yet. We've reached out to the company for clarification, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Looking ahead, every model Maserati releases will incorporate a degree of electrification. Some will be hybrids, we expect the existing Quattroporte and Levante models will receive gasoline-electric technology, and we know the replacements for the GranTurismo and the GranCabrio due out in 2021 and 2022, respectively, will be the firm's first battery-electric models. There's a new sports car right around the corner, too, and rumors indicate it will be aimed at the Lamborghini Huracan Evo, but we'll need to be patient to find out what's under the camouflage. Related Video:

2017 Maserati GranTurismo will only come with a hard hat

If you've been waiting for the next generation of the Maserati GranTurismo to come along before you place your order for a four-seat convertible, you'd better change your plans and act fast. Because the latest report coming in from across the pond confirms what we long suspected: that the next GranTurismo will be offered in coupe form only. The news comes from Auto Express, which quotes Peter Denton – Maserati's manager for Northern Europe – as saying that "The GranTurismo will be replaced at the end of 2017, but as a coupe only." That coupe will also be smaller than the current model, but the timeframe means that by the time it's phased out, the current GT will have been on the market for a staggering ten years – based on architecture dating back to 2003, if not earlier. That doesn't mean that Maserati won't offer a convertible altogether, though. By the time the new GranTurismo arrives, the Trident marque will have introduced the Alfieri, which (like the outgoing GranTurismo) will be offered as both a coupe and a convertible. The trend seems to follow a larger industry direction away from four-seat convertibles – particularly under the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles umbrella. Chrysler discontinued the 200 Convertible, and unlike Ford and Chevy that offer convertible versions of the Mustang and Camaro, Dodge does not offer a convertible Challenger. Aside from the fated GranTurismo Convertible (known as the GranCabrio overseas) and the Jeep Wrangler, the only droptop in the entire sprawling group with more than two seats is the Ferrari California – a model whose presence may have factored in to the decision to discontinue the Maser cabriolet as well. The news will undoubtedly come as welcome to competitors like Aston Martin and Bentley, which between them offer several four-seat convertibles including the DB9 Volante, Vanquish Volante and Continental GTC. It remains to be seen, however, whether Jaguar will offer a convertible version of the next XK to stand alongside the smaller F-Type roadster.

Stellantis to offer electric versions of most of its European lineup by 2025

Newly merged automaker conglomerate Stellantis will offer electric versions of almost all of its European lineup by 2025, it said on Thursday, as the auto industry faces regulatory pushes in Europe and China to accelerate the shift to zero-emission cars. Formed in January by the merger of France's PSA and Italian-American group Fiat Chrysler, Stellantis is the world’s fourth largest carmaker with 14 brands including Opel, Jeep, Ram and Maserati, and like its peers faces an investor community keen for a road map to an electric lineup to rival Tesla . Speaking during Stellantis' first annual shareholders meeting, Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said that in 2021 the carmaker expects sales of electrified vehicles — that is, both plug-in hybrids and fully electric models — to more than triple to over 400,000 units in 2021. By 2025, electrified vehicles should make up 38% of European sales, a huge jump from the 14% of sales it expects in 2021. Tavares said by 2030 electric models should make up 70% of European sales and 35% of U.S. sales. He said Stellantis will use four electric platforms for passenger vehicles across its 14-brand empire — small, medium and large sizes for cars, and "frame" for high-margin SUVs and pickup trucks. Sweden's Volvo said this month its lineup would be fully electric by 2030, and Ford Motor Co said in February its lineup in Europe would be too. BMW has said at least 50% of its car sales should be fully-electric models by 2030. Sales of electric and plug-in hybrid cars in the European Union almost trebled to over 1 million vehicles last year, accounting for more than 10% of overall sales. Green Alfa Romeo Fiat Jeep Maserati Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall Electric Hybrid Stellantis