Maserati rolls out cheaper hybrid Ghibli

MODENA: The Maserati Ghibli, the car that's been muscling in on Audi A6, BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class territory, is now being sold as a cheaper hybrid version.

With it, the new luxury saloon brings a 48-volt system and an electric starter-generator, as well as a four-cylinder engine, rather than six or eight.

This reduces not only consumption but also the price, which now starts at €71,210 (RM349,000) in its home market and marks the entry into the world of the Ghibli.

The new 2.0-litre engine produces 330hp, almost as much as the V6 petrol engine, but is about 20 per cent more frugal and consumes 8.5 litres (196 g/km CO2), the manufacturer says. Maserati now considers the diesel obsolete and have taken it out of this range.

On the other hand, there's hardly any loss of performance: With a maximum of 450Nm torque and an electric compressor to fight turbo lag, the new Ghibli accelerates from a standstill to 100kph in 5.7 seconds and reaches a maximum of 255 km/h, according to Maserati.

In addition to the new powertrain, there are also some changes to the interior for 2021 - most notably online infotainment with a larger touchscreen and better connectivity. In future, not only will smartphones be integrated wirelessly, but the Ghibli will have Amazon and Google voice assistants built in.