- Maserati has announced ambitious plans: a second SUV line, a new two-seat sports car, and a replacement for the GranTurismo and GranCabrio are all coming.
- Electric and part-electric powertrains will be offered on all models.
- The company will also make a push for higher-level autonomy "as soon as possible."
Maserati has been a brand in need of a renaissance for some time, with slipping sales and an increasing struggle to find buyers for its aging lineup. We've already been promised a raft of new models, but now the Italian brand has released new details that pretty much lay out its product strategy for the next three years.
The first piece of good news is that the long-delayed Alfieri will be with us soon. The junior two-seat sports car was previewed with the concept (below), which was shown at the Geneva auto show as long ago as 2014.
The company dropped some details last year, confirming it will be available in both coupe and roadster forms, and also that it will have the option of an electric powertrain using with three-motor all-wheel drive and an 800-volt battery system. Now we're told that we can expect it to go into production in Modena next year, initially with internal-combustion power (most likely a version of the Alfa twin-turbo V-6) but also with the option of an electric powertrain. In 2020, we will also see a hybrid version of the existing Ghibli.
Next up will be a second SUV to understudy the Levante, set to be built on a new production line at the Cassino plant south of Rome, which builds the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio. Production will start "by 2021" according to the official release and insiders suggest this will also be offered with both conventional power and some form of electric drivetrain.
Finally, there will be replacements for the venerable GranTurismo and GranCabrio, the coupe having been launched as long ago as 2007. An Alfa spokesman confirmed to C/D that both cars will be replaced directly and that they'll represent a separate product line from the Alfieri. There isn't an official date for their introduction yet, but being beyond the second SUV suggests they won't be here until 2023. Both will be produced in Turin—Maserati emphasizes that its entire line will be made in Italy.
The company is also promising a major push to higher-level autonomy, with Level 3 systems under development and set to be rolled out progressively across the range. Again, we don't have an official ETA for this, but a Maserati spokesman assures us that we can expect such systems to be available soon, with the possibility that earlier models with Level 2 piloted driving will be able to be upgraded to allow hands-off operation.
So while there are no new products yet, the message is that there are good things coming: keep the faith.