Maserati to unveil Ghibli hybrid at Beijing Motor Show

Italian luxury automobile manufacturer Maserati is all set to introduce the Ghibli hybrid sedan at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show. The car will be Maserati’s first hybrid vehicle. The company is yet to reveal the details of the new Ghibli’s powertrain.

The Ghibli was first introduced in 1967 as a grand touring car.

The Maserati is betting big on the Chinese market as it believes that electric cars would boost its sales there. The Ghibli plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) will be eligible for ¥10,000 (approximately $1,442) incentive from the Chinese government. The incentive is only offered for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Maserati’s sales in China dropped by 27 percent to 6,000 units in 2018, according to London-based automotive industry automotive data analyst JATO Dynamics. Maserati is expected to disclose its 2019 sales figures in February.

Maserati has already announced that it will introduce all-electric successors to the GranCabrio and GranTurismo. Both cars will be produced at the Maserati’s Turin workshop. The company will invest €800 million in this regard.

That aside, the Modena-headquartered company is also planning to introduce a brand new sports car in May. The vehicle is expected to be hauled by a hybrid powertrain instead of an all-electric motor. The company recently released a teaser of the upcoming vehicle which had the sound of an 8-cylinder car. The all-new car is unlikely to replace the GranTurismo because its all-electric successor is slated to be introduced next year. The new version of the GranCabrio, meanwhile, is expected to be launched in 2022. Sources suggest that this car could be the smaller, production version of Maserati’s Alfieri concept vehicle.

Maserati’s flagship Quattroporte full-sized sedan and the Levante sports utility vehicle (SUV) are slated to get a facelift later this year. The earlier facelift version of the Quattroporte was released in 2016. The Levante too debuted in the same year.

Also read: Maserati introduces limited Royale Edition Levante, Ghibli, Quattroporte