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2019 Maserati Ghibli GranLusso S Quick Spin Review | A mixed designer bag

It's been a minute since we've driven the Maserati Ghibli (our first drive was way back in 2013), the twin-turbocharged, V6-powered smaller sedan from the legendary Italian outfit. In the last couple years, rumors have swirled that the Ghibli would donate its platform to the Dodge Charger and its Challenger and 300 siblings. So, in a sense, our time in Southern California in the 2019 Maserati Ghibli GranLusso S was both a preview of FCA's shared rear-drive sedan future as well as a check-in about how the Ghibli is maturing in general. Not that the Ghibli hasn't evolved in the six years since it went on sale. For 2018, Maserati moved to an electrically-assisted steering rack, mostly to enable driver assistance systems with steering intervention. The V6's output has been bumped in the S, to 424 horsepower. The headlights and grille have been updated, too, to compliment the newer and more aggressive Levante. In Los Angeles, at least, the Ghibli doesn't stand out – the town is lousy with Ghiblis, Levantes, and Quattroportes. Good for Maserati, I suppose, but bad for exclusivity. Nor does the car pop in photos like it does in person. My tester was a metallic, creamy white, which is flat and dull in photos or from far away. That's a shame, because this car has phenomenal contouring. From behind the wheel, the driver's side fender porpoises above the shapely hood. Walking along the side, the curvature of the rear fender where it meets the deep tumblehome of the C-pillar is delightful. Everybody stares at an exotic, but the owner of a Ghibli should feel special contemplating their sheetmetal. This sense of specialness dissolves inside. There are Maserati tridents everywhere, presumably to help you remember that you're looking at the expensive Italian sports sedan you just purchased rather than a riot of low-rent, Chrysler-derived bits. The steering wheel buttons feel cheap and wobbly, the too-shiny center console finish seems synthetic, the prominent lighting and engine start/stop controls to the left of the steering wheel are ensconsed in a dull plastic surround. Some of the aesthetic choices – subjective, yes – are confounding. Take the textile inserts on the seats and door cards. I love the fact that interior designers are playing with textiles, which can be used to great effect. And the pitch here is compelling: an apparently famous Italian designer (Ermenegildo Zegna) used a fancy fabric (mulberry silk) with special weaves and textures.

Maserati slashes prices for 2020, adds Edizione Ribelle special editions

Maserati is slashing prices for the Ghibli, Levante and Quattroporte for the 2020 model year. To which we say, huzzah! Cars almost never get cheaper, but when sales are as abysmal as Maserati sales have been, drastic changes must be made. The Italian car company only sold about 11,000 vehicles total in 2019, coming in even lower than 2018 overall sales numbers. In an effort to turn it around, the 2020 Ghibli is now $5,990 cheaper than the 2019 model. The Levante is $3,990 cheaper than before, and the Quattroporte is $8,490 less. With destination included, the new 2020 base prices are as follows: Ghibli: $70,985 Levante: $74,485 Quattroporte: $101,485 Basically, buy a 2020, not a 2019. Or at least start your pricing negotiations with the 2020 price. There’s more than just pricing news from Maserati today, though. We also got to see some new Edizione Ribelle special editions. All of the aforementioned models are available in this spec, but numbers are limited. WeÂ’ll get 100 Levantes, 100 Ghiblis and 25 Quattroportes total. All of them are based off the “S” trim, so theyÂ’re fairly well-equipped models. YouÂ’ll be able to tell them apart by the Nero Ribelle paintwork, black chrome trim throughout the exterior and 20-inch wheels framing red brake calipers. The inside will be covered in black and red leather thatÂ’s only available with this special edition car. There will be extra carbon fiber trim on various surfaces and a Harman Kardon audio system. Pricing for the Edizione Ribelle models is much higher than the base cars. The Ghibli is $93,285; the Levante is $98,485, and the Quattroporte costs $120,985. Those limited-production cars will be hitting dealer lots in March this year. 2020 Maserati GT Sport editions View 3 Photos The last scrap of news coming from Maserati today is the introduction of a GT Sport package. This package consists of a few extras to make the respective Maserati look a bit more aggressive. It applies a GranSport-unique front and rear fascia design, new wheels and your choice between black, red or blue brake calipers. Inside, it features high gloss piano black wood. Just like the Edizione Ribelle, thee GT Sport package will be available come March of this year.

Stellantis earnings rise along with EV sales

AMSTERDAM — Automaker Stellantis on Wednesday reported its earnings grew in 2022 from a year earlier and said its push into electric vehicles led to a jump in sales even as it faces growing competition from an industrywide shift to more climate-friendly offerings. Stellantis, formed in 2021 from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and FranceÂ’s PSA Peugeot, said net revenue of 179.6 billion euros ($191 billion) was up 18% from 2021, citing strong pricing and its mix of vehicles. It reported net profit of 16.8 billion euros, up 26% from 2021. Stellantis plans to convert all of its European sales and half of its U.S. sales to battery-electric vehicles by 2030. It said the strategy led to a 41% increase in battery EV sales in 2022, to 288,000 vehicles, compared with the year earlier. The company has “demonstrated the effectiveness of our electrification strategy in Europe,” CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement. “We now have the technology, the products, the raw materials and the full battery ecosystem to lead that same transformative journey in North America, starting with our first fully electric Ram vehicles from 2023 and Jeep from 2024.” The automaker is competing in an increasingly crowded field for a share of the electric vehicle market. Companies are scrambling to roll out environmentally friendly models as they look to hit goals of cutting climate-changing emissions, driven by government pressure. The transformation has gotten a boost from a U.S. law that is rolling out big subsidies for clean technology like EVs but has European governments calling out the harm that they say the funding poses to homegrown industry across the Atlantic. Stellantis' Jeep brand will start selling two fully electric SUVs in North America and another one in Europe over the next two years. It says its Ram brand will roll out an electric pickup truck this year, joining a rush of EV competitors looking to claim a piece of the full-size truck market. The company plans to bring 25 battery-electric models to the U.S. by 2030. As part of that push, it has said it would build two EV battery factories in North America. A $2.5 billion joint venture with Samsung will bring one of those facilities to Indiana, which is expected to employ up to 1,400 workers. The other factory will be in Windsor, Ontario, a collaboration with South KoreaÂ’s LG Energy Solution that aims to create about 2,500 jobs. The EV push comes amid a slowdown in U.S.