Tuesday 9th April 2013

Maserati Ghibli leaked

Maserati's 5 Series rival makes an early debut ahead of Shanghai unveiling

---

The new Maserati Ghibli has been sprung online ahead of a planned Shanghai show unveiling and suddenly makes those granny pants German saloons look worryingly generic and unsexy. Because, let's face it, who wants a 5 Series, an A6 or an E-Class when you could have one of these instead?

Based on Quattroporte but smaller and sportier

Only Jaguar's XF stands a chance of matching the Ghibli in the slinkiness stakes, the cut-down Quattroporte looks reflecting the mechanical underpinnings beneath but successfully bringing a new sense of glamour to generally conservative market sector. If you need to swot up on why Maserati matters check out this timeline here from an earlier Time For Tea? story.

Autocar is reporting that the Ghibli will be powered by V6 diesel and petrol motors, the latter in two states of tune with the higher of the two pushing out over 400hp. Which it'll need to go head to head with the facelifted, twin-turbo V6 Panamera, which will deliver 420hp and 383lb ft in higher spec S tune.

As has already been widely reported, Maserati has confirmed ambitious targets of selling over 50,000 cars a year by 2015. Unveiling the car in China reveals where it expects the bulk of that extra volume to come from, the launch earlier in the year of the new Quattroporte on which the Ghibli will be based setting "the high-technology tone for Maserati's upcoming range of new-models" according to Maserati.

Lashings of standard leather for the cabin

That includes the all-new engine family, which in the Quattroporte will include a 530hp 3.8-litre V8 and the 3.0-litre V6 that will form the heart of the Ghibli range. Maserati claims the twin-turbo, direct injection family as its own, the fact the motors will be built by Ferrari just adding to the cachet the brand hopes to use to further its claim to markets where luxury brands rule supreme. Expect the all-conquering ZF eight-speed auto to put the power down through a choice of Q4 four-wheel or regular rear-wheel drive drivetrains.

Prices are to be confirmed but reckoned to kick off below £50,000. Still want that 5 Series?

[Sources: the entire internet, via Autocar]

[KMB]

Very nice lines, hope it sounds good!

[Kawasicki]

Good job Maserati, nice proportions, I see some Fisker Karma in there and that's a compliment.

[AyBee]

That's gorgeous! Why can other manufacturers not produce cars that look that good?

[Strawman]

A diesel Maserati ?

[ts86net]

Excellent!
And hopefully the emissions are high enough to keep the company card brigade out of the market.

[BOBBY G]

Front is a bit wonky looking.

[CYMR0]

Still want the 520d? Nope, but this will be two 520ds in terms of costs, and possibly in running costs too.

That said I do see a bit of F30 around the front lights, which I also like.

Edit: CLS and 6-Series do look even sillier on list prices than they did before though.

Edited by CYMR0 on Tuesday 9th April 12:00

[petemurphy]

nice - how much?

[Garlick]

article said:

Prices are to be confirmed but reckoned to kick off below £50,000

Yes please. Need lease costs NOW!

[FalconWood]

That car does not deserve the Ghibli name in my opinion.. The 1960s and 70s Ghibli was a hing of beauty, an exotice ar set against the Ferrari Daytona! To use this name against a 5 series is all wrong. Not happy or impressed.

[SamJD]

Garlick said:

article said:

Prices are to be confirmed but reckoned to kick off below £50,000

Yes please. Need lease costs NOW!

100%, although can you really see maser providing subsidies anywhere near merc levels?
they should if they want production numbers, but won't

[m44kts]

Where do I sign?

[NorfolkSteve]

"Maserati Ghibli Leaked" ... Shouldn't have left it out in the rain then...

Sorry...

[DavidY]

FalconWood said:

That car does not deserve the Ghibli name in my opinion.. The 1960s and 70s Ghibli was a hing of beauty, an exotice ar set against the Ferrari Daytona! To use this name against a 5 series is all wrong. Not happy or impressed.

Absolutely

[LayZ]

If they want to shift any in volume they'll have to have a good diesel. Does Fiat group have access to a modern large V6 diesel or will it be all new?

[Guvernator]

m44kts said:

Where do I sign?

Absolutely, the best looking 4 door I've seen in a long time....WANT!

[CYMR0]

The range will probably start with the 240 PS 3.0 V6 from the Lancia Thema, aka Chrysler 300.

It returns 185g and 39.7 mpg in the Thema, which is presumably heavier and lacking in stop-start gubbins.

I think this needs to be below 150g, which might be possible.

[bikerPaul]

That is the most aggresive front end i have seen on a car in a long time.

It is gorgeous.

[Devil2575]

FalconWood said:

That car does not deserve the Ghibli name in my opinion.. The 1960s and 70s Ghibli was a hing of beauty, an exotice ar set against the Ferrari Daytona! To use this name against a 5 series is all wrong. Not happy or impressed.

Not happy or impressed?

Isn't this just a little bit stong? Does it really matter that much?

[E38Ross]

Am I the only one thinking the rear is a little..... Bland


I hope it does well, but think the XF looks better and I'll bet my bottom dollar it'll cost a good amount more than an equivalent 5 series.