Gautam Sharma•4 Jan 2013
NEWS
Maserati model onslaught to fuel sales growth
Trident brand has three all-new model lines up its sleeve, following in the wheeltracks of the revamped QuattroporteMaserati is banking on a huge new-model onslaught – that will include a Porsche 911-rivalling model dubbed GranSport – to achieve an eightfold growth in global sales by 2015.
The Italian premium manufacturer sold 6159 cars worldwide in 2011, but it’s set itself an ambitious target of 50,000 sales by 2015, spearheaded by offerings such as the new Quattroporte (which will be revealed at this month’s Detroit motor show), the Levante SUV and a BMW 5 Series-sized sedan that will reprise the Ghibli moniker.
The GranSport, underpinned by a derivative of the upcoming Alfa Romeo 4C’s chassis, is due to hit the market in 2015, powered by a mid-mounted twin-turbo V6 or V8, with both engines hooked up to a Ferrari-sourced dual-clutch gearbox. It’s believed the V8 version will feature an all-wheel-drive configuration, but the V6 will be rear-drive only.
According to reports, Maserati’s engineers are aiming to keep kerb weight below 1400kg to endow the GranSport with the agility to rival the lithe 911. As per the 4C, the Maserati sportster will feature a carbonfibre-intensive construction, with many of the key components fabricated from aluminium.
Meanwhile, the Ghibli will take the fight to the likes of the BMW M5 and Mercedes E63 AMG, with motive power coming from the same powertrain line-up (301kW 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and 390kW twin-turbo V8, hooked up to an eight-speed auto) that features in the new Quattroporte.
The Maser sedan will take its bows at the Geneva motor show in March, and it could land in local showrooms by early 2014. Its arrival will enable the trident brand to target a much broader audience, and the Ghibli will be Maserati’s volume-seller until the Jeep Grand Cherokee-based Levante SUV comes on stream a year later.
The Levante will cash in on the burgeoning demand for luxo all-terrainers, and introduce variety to a segment currently dominated by the German heavyweights and (soon) the new Range Rover.
However, the first new arrival will be the all-new 307 km/h Quattroporte (pictured), which launches here in the last quarter of this year.
Replacing the best-selling model in the company’s 100-year history, the new Quattroporte is claimed to be larger, lighter, more luxurious and more practical than the car it replaces.
With a 307km/h top speed and a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds, it’s also billed as the world’s fastest four-door sedan.
Two twin-turbo direct-injection engines are on offer – a 3.8-litre V8 and a 3.0-litre V6 – both of which are designed by Maserati Powertrain and assembled by Ferrari at Maranello.
The 3.8-litre V8 thrashes out 390kW and 710Nm, and it’s the latter figure that’s the most telling, representing a 200Nm hike over the outgoing Quattroporte Sport GT S. The new V8’s added performance is complemented by 20 per cent lower fuel consumption and emissions than the outgoing Quattroporte.
Also no slouch is the 3.0-litre V6, which ekes out 301kW and 550Nm for a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.9sec and top whack of 285km/h.
The Quattroporte’s all-new architecture is said to deliver sharp handling dynamics via its 50:50 weight distribution, double-wishbone front suspension and sophisticated five-link rear suspension.
Traditional handcrafted detailing continues in the Quattroporte’s cabin, now more spacious and featuring both four and five-seat layouts.
The mod-cons list gains features such as the Maserati Touch Control screen, a reversing camera and optional 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system. There is also WLAN-based WiFi and compatibility with most modern mobile phone systems.
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Maserati
Quattroporte
Ghibli
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Written byGautam Sharma
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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