At the 2013 Shanghai Motor show, the Italian brand Maserati announced the details of the latest addition to the lineup, the Ghibli. The new Maserati Ghibili is built on the same platform on which the new generation Quatrroporte are built. This is basically a sedan with a sportier design language and upgraded styling as compared to its big bro. The new car is the part of the Maserati’s growth plan and so it is expected that the car will do its level best to meet the expectations of the Italian brand. Ghibli is the most important vehicle of the Italian brand about which experts said in the history of 99 years, nothing becomes as important as the Ghibli for Maserati. At the Shanghai Auto Show, Maserati officially introduced the new driver oriented sedan that is more agile and smaller in the comparison with its latest Quattroporte lineup. The best thing about the new Maserati Ghibli is that, it is the car capable to offer a tough time to BMW, Mercedes Benz and Audi in performance, styling, quality and even in price.

Outside

The images that are officially launched on the internet are showing that most of the exterior styling and design language of the new Ghibli is like the Quattroporte. The Italian brand combined the conventional Italian styling and signature elegance with new sporty lines. The car measures 195.66 inches length and 117.7 inch wheelbase. A set of 18 inch wheels is standard whereas the shopper can choose from 19, 20 and 21 inch wheels. The front end of the car features same grille and headlights like that of the Quattroporte whereas the rear end is a bit different. The exhaust system is not trapezoidal like the Quattroporte but is actually featuring oval end pipes. This is not a single passenger sports sedan and so is offering space for 5 passengers.

 

Inside

Potential sports sedan buyers are not worried about the interior of the Maserati Ghibli because they are aware about the precision, luxury and beauty of the Italian brand. The interior of the Ghibli has quite acceptable space, stitched leather upholstery, impressive headroom and legroom. The details of the Ghibli’s interior are not shared by the Maserati however, you can expect power driver and passenger seats, carbon fiber accent, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, steering wheel mounted control buttons, rear view camera and lots of other high tech electronics and convenience features.

Safety Features

Maserati always got the best score in the crash tests because the Italian brand never compromises on the safety and so we anticipate that the new Ghibli will feature impressive safety features including antilock disc brakes, front, rear and full length side curtain airbags, tire pressure monitoring system, traction and stability control system as standard features.

Under The Hood

According to the first rumors, the Maserati Ghibli will employ the same V8 engine powered by the Maserati Quattroporte but the new Ghibli is not going to make these rumors true and will employ two V6 gasoline and one diesel variant.
A 3.6 liter V6 engine that is expected to produce 330 horsepower and 368 lb ft of torque. The engine will accelerate from 0-62 mph in 5.6 seconds with an average combined fuel economy of 29 mpg.

A 3.0 liter Twin-Turbo V6 will power the S trim of the Ghibli that cranks out 410 horsepower and 405 lb ft of torque. The car sprints out from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds.

For extra fuel efficiency, Maserati offers an Eco-friendly 3.0 liter V6 Turbo-diesel engine that generates 275 horsepower and 475 lb ft of torque that help the car to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 6.3 seconds. All the engine choices will be paired with an eight speed automatic transmission with a choice between rear wheel drive or Q4 all wheel drive.

Pricing and Availability

The pricing and released date of the Maserati Ghibli is not known however, we can expect an estimated base price around $75,000.

Key Rivals

The Maserati Ghibli faces a tough battle from BMW 5-series, Jaguar XF, Mercedes CLS and Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Pros

• Ferrari like power, Italian beauty and precision with a German Price tag
• Sharp handling

Cons

• No release date and price
• No V8

The Verdict

The Ghibli is definitely a car that is a hype and will surely increase the sales of the Italian brand. The car looks competitive in all aspects such as styling, interior, comfort, performance and fuel economy and so we can expect a tough competition in the segment.