At the end of 2019, we bid farewell to the Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio after 12 years of production. While we will certainly miss its glorious naturally-aspirated V8, Maserati has to move on with the times to remain competitive. In a recent conversation with Carsales, Maserati’s head of communication, Maria Conti, divulged exactly what we can expect in the near future from the Italian marque.
First on the list, Conti stated that a surprise will be coming next year. Not many technical details are known about it, but it will most likely be the GranTurismo replacement as well as Maserati’s first electric and plug-in hybrid car. “We will have a special surprise in the first quarter of 2020… probably at Geneva – a new generation sports car to be built right here in Modena,” Conti told Carsales. “Alfieri might be dead, but what’s coming instead will blow everyone away – it’s even more beautiful”.
Maserati are also planning on taking on the Porsche Macan. While they already have their Levante SUV, this model is set to be a bit smaller in size. We will probably see some version of the car, be it as a concept or near production-spec, at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year. According to Maserati, this mid-size SUV will offer “a class-leading power-to-weight ratio, 50/50 weight balance and Level 3 autonomous driving capability”. Also, expect it to carry Maserati’s twin-turbo V6.
In terms of Maserati’s current crop of models (Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante), expect new versions from those starting from 2022. From next year, however, they are set to be hybridised and eventually fully electrified in the next couple of years.