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2020 Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 Drivers' Notes | Lost that loving feeling

The 2020 Maserati Quattroporte is the Italian brand’s flagship sedan. ThereÂ’s only one other Maserati sedan — the Ghibli — but the Quattroporte commands the big bucks with its blend of opulent luxury and performance, all topped off by a Ferrari-sourced engine. We drove the Quattroporte S Q4 in GranLusso trim, which is the less powerful and cheaper partner of the GTS. Since it's the GranLusso, it added silk-and-leather upholstery, heated and cooled seats, a chrome front fascia insert, 20-inch wheels and glossy black brake calipers. An impressive, high-tech 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine lurks under the S Q4Â’s hood making 424 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, both respectable numbers for a boosted six-cylinder. ItÂ’s paired with a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission thatÂ’ll send this big sedan from 0-60 mph in just 4.8 seconds. The all-wheel drive system is no slouch. It sends 100% of the power to the rear wheels in most driving conditions, but can quickly send as much as 50% of torque to the front wheels if it detects a loss of grip. It also has a limited-slip rear differential. At about 207 inches in length, thereÂ’s no disguising that the Quattroporte is a large car. ItÂ’s about the same size as a BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 or Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. When youÂ’re competing with those names, the standards for excellence tend to be off the charts. Of course, Maserati comes with its own expectations and standards of performance. This carÂ’s electrically-controlled adaptive dampers, Brembo brakes and unique exhaust note go a long way toward enhancing the driving experience, but read on to see what our editors think after spending a week in the driverÂ’s seat. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: Hearing the word “Maserati” evokes something. A sense of exotica and exclusivity, notions of performance and luxury, whiffs of elitism and maybe even envy. When people see a Maserati Quattroporte in person, very little of that happens. People will eye a Bentley, give a thumbs-up to a passing Porsche, and straight-up gawk at the right Jaguar. By contrast, no one seemed to notice this Maserati, be it on the highway or when parked next to them in the parking lot. I canÂ’t blame them. Its design doesnÂ’t really scream, well, anything. Under normal driving, the 3.0-liter V6 under the hood doesnÂ’t either. In Sport mode, though, the twin-turbocharged Ferrari-sourced engine raises its voice in a sonorous growl.

Fiat Chrysler's profit boosted by Ram and Jeep in North America

MILAN/DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler took the market by surprise by sticking to its full-year profit guidance on Wednesday after a strong performance from its Ram pickup truck in North America helped it defy an industry slowdown. Chief Executive Mike Manley, in FCA's first earnings release since a failed attempt to merge with France's Renault, also left the door open to that or other deals. "We are open to opportunity," Manley said on a call with analysts. "I have no doubt why there still would be interest in it," he added, when pressed on what it would take to revive talks with Renault. Manley declined to comment further. FCA last month abandoned its $35 billion merger offer for Renault, blaming French politics for scuttling what would have been a landmark deal to create the world's third-biggest automaker. Manley said a merger was not a must-have and Fiat Chrysler's business plan was strong. The company said it remained confident its adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) would top last year's 6.7 billion euros ($7.5 billion). Given disappointing forecasts from other automakers this earnings season, FCA's confirmation of the outlook sent Milan-listed shares in the Italian-American automaker, whose other brands include Jeep, up over 4%. A broad-based auto sales downturn has rattled the sector, forcing FCA's competitors — including Renault, Daimler and Aston Martin — to cut their sales forecasts after second-quarter results, while U.S. carmaker Ford gave a weaker-than-expected 2019 profit outlook. Japan's Nissan, a long-term partner of Renault, said it would cut 12,500 jobs by 2023 after its earnings collapsed. In the second quarter FCA's adjusted EBIT totaled 1.52 billion euros, versus analysts' expectations of 1.43 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll. FCA's U.S. shipments were down 12% in the second quarter but the group said that the successful performance of its Ram brand resulted in an enhanced share of the large pickup truck market of 27.9%, up 7 percentage points from last year. Adjusted EBIT margin in North America rose to 8.9% from 6.5% in the first quarter, thanks to strong demand for the heavy-duty Ram and the new Jeep Gladiator pickup. Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer also said FCA expected to report up to 10% margins in the region in both the third and fourth quarters.

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.