Modena, Italy - Maserati has revealed its first electrified vehicle, in the form of the new Ghibli Hybrid, which also sports a small facelift.
The Italian carmaker describes the Ghibli Hybrid as one of its most ambitious projects, although in electrification terms this is a fairly small start as Maserati has opted for a mild hybrid system, albeit with some unique elements.
The Ghibli’s powertrain pairs a 2-litre, four-cylinder turbopetrol engine with a 48 volt alternator and an additional battery-powered supercharger, which Maserati refers to as an e-Booster.
Maserati claims outputs of 243kW and 450Nm, the latter delivered from just 1500rpm, while 0-100 is said to come up in just 5.7 seconds and the top speed is listed at 255km/h.
Said to offer the “perfect trade-off between performance, efficiency and driving pleasure” the Ghibli Hybrid is also impressively lightweight, with the new model weighing 80kg less than the diesel variant according to Maserati. The Italian carmaker has even thought about the weight distribution, hence the positioning of the battery in the rear of the car.
Finally, there’s the sound factor, and here Maserati claims to have imbued the Hybrid with “the unmistakable sound that has always distinguished every Maserati” although there’s no mention of how much fakery is involved here.
The Hybrid model also gets its own unique exterior treatment, which includes a new grille, with bars designed to resemble a tuning fork, and blue colouring for the side air ducts, brake calipers and the thunderbolt badge on the rear pillar. At the back end, the taillight clusters have also been redesigned, with a boomerang-like profile inspired by the Alfieri concept.
Moving inside, you’ll also find blue colouring on the seat embroidery, while cockpit tech includes the latest-generation Maserati Intelligent Assist multimedia system, which is fully customisable to the driver’s personal preferences.
Maserati says that the Ghibli Hybrid is the first step of a plan that will eventually lead to the electrification of all new Maserati models, and there are also fully electric cars in the pipeline, starting with the replacements for the GranTurismo and GranCabrio, which are due in 2021.