The Italians have long been known for their exotic offerings in the country, and apart from FIAT, it’s just Ferrari and Lamborghini who have a presence here.
Now though, Maserati have let loose their executive saloon aimed straight at the Germans.
The much-awaited sports executive saloon, the Ghibli, has finally been showcased and Maserati hope it will help them win not just market share, but also more hearts and a greater fan following. The Ghibli will bring a new wave of sporty character and attitude to a segment dominated by familiar names for far too long. With Maserati looking at expanding in growing luxury car markets, India is one of the names on top of their list. With a length just shy of the 5-metre mark, the Ghibli will battle it out with the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5-series, Audi A6, Jaguar XF and Volvo S80. However, when it comes to styling, you can plainly see the dash of panache that the Italian brings to the bout. The Ghibli is simply gorgeous to look at and if it drives anything like its larger sibling, the Quattroporte, it will not have trouble finding a place in enthusiast homes.
On to more details, buyers will have a choice of petrol and diesel engines with a choice of rear-wheel-drive or Maserati’s new Q4 all-wheel-drive. The Ghibli will be the first production Maserati in history to use a diesel engine. A pair of 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 engines will bring the power; each being paired to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The engines are expected to be derivatives of the units which power the Quattroporte; so we can expect power output figures of around 400 PS and 500 Nm from the petrol and above 250 PS and 500 Nm from the diesel. A more powerful V8 petrol version can also be expected at a later date. No mention of price so far from Maserati, but we will find out more when the car is unveiled at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show in China.
