Maserati's New Saloons To Address Size Problem
'M156' and 'M157' will solve Quattroporte's market positioning
Maserati's next generation of saloon offerings will not be a direct replacement for the Quattroporte, it seems, as the company diversifies its four-door range to chase after a much larger slice of the luxury saloon market.
We already know that Maserati is working on two new saloons - codenamed M156 and M157. What we didn't know until now is why.
The answer, apparently, is that the current Quattroporte sits awkwardly in the saloon car market - too large to be considered a focused driver's car, too small and sporty to work as a chauffeur-driven Limo.
Thus, the new Quattroporte (M156) will be a significantly larger car, aimed at the likes of the long-wheelbase S-class and its ilk, while the 'baby' Quattroporte (M157) will be a more driver-focused choice.
According to industry website Automotive News, the bigger car will use a version of the Ferrari-built 4.7-litre V8, with direct injection and 475bhp, coupled to an 8-speed auto. It will also be priced between 125,000 euros and 150,000 euros.
The smaller M157, meanwhile, will be 5-series-sized and will use a high-end version of Chrysler's Pentastar V6, with around 400bhp. There will also be a diesel version using the VM Motori V6, a version of which currently serves in the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Interestingly, AN says that the baby Quattroporte, which is scheduled to be launched next year, was originally slated to be a flagship Alfa Romeo, but that Fiat Group's management reckoned that the Maserati name would endow the car with more kudos (and no doubt a higher price tag).
Both saloons are set to be built at the Officine Automobilistiche Grugliasco (OAG), which was formerly the Carrozzeria Bertone and was bought by the Fiat Group back in 2009.
There's another chap near me with a Ferrari California (which I didn't like) but he's a really nice chap, so I like the California now.
Not sure how relevant this is to the topic, but I thought I'd share
<looks out the window and remembers when it were all fields>
Heart says - "Diesel Maserati? WTF?"
Got to keep an open mind on these things I think though. The bigger the unit the lesss diesel-y it is I find...
I drove an 80s QP once and it was huge, 4 people sitting in the back not that cramped and we had skis in the boot width ways (no we aren`t umpa loompas
http://www.leftlanenews.com/marchionne-fiat-chrysl...
You've got a good memory!
Not too sure about the big Alfa becoming a Maserati, although I've always wondered why they didn't plank-share those two brands more; RWD 164 & a Dueporte or somesuch. Still, so long as the new car doesn't look like Michael Winner like the MiTo, I'm sure it'll be fine. Even if it's another version of the 300C...
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