The new Maserati Ghibli Hybrid represents the link between a past of internal combustion engines and an electric future. The spark that ignites the journey into the future of a brand dedicated to innovation throughout its history. The underlying aim of the Hybrid version of the Ghibli is to enhance performance while saving fuel.
It’s one of the most ambitious projects for Maserati, which after the announcement of the new engine for the MC20 super sports car now sets the seal on another step forward towards the brand’s new Era. A Maserati built entirely in Italy, at the Turin Production Hub and the first hybrid engine in the history of the marque, where innovation and technology have always met with high performance automotive engineering, to drive Maserati forward towards a more sustainable future. Faster than diesel, greener than gasoline: the Ghibli Hybrid philosophy in a nutshell.
The choice to introduce the hybrid technology on the Ghibli sedan is no coincidence: this model, with over 100,000 units produced since its launch in 2013, perfectly embodies the Modena-based manufacturer’s DNA. In fact, the challenge facing Maserati was to enter the world of electrification without altering the brand’s core philosophy and values. The result? The creation of the best possible hybrid. What’s more, Ghibli Hybrid will retain the unmistakable sound that has always distinguished every Maserati. Ghibli Hybrid occupants will still revel in the unmistakable sound that characterises all Maserati models, thanks to the optimised exhaust, which includes specially designed resonators.
Beneath elegant looks that convey an impression of contemporary elegance, specially styled for this version with an exclusive colour scheme, a stunningly brilliant, glittering “Grigio Evoluzione” (for China, the launch version is Rosso Magma), lies this Ghibli version’s innovative high-tech secret: the hybrid powerplant that generates 330 hp, propels the car to 100 km/hour in 5.7seconds and delivers a top speed of 255 km/h. The battery is mounted in the rear of the car, with benefits in terms of improved weight distribution. This version weighs about 80 kg less than the diesel Ghibli and is paired with an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox. The WLTP combined fuel consumption is still undergoing homologation and is stated at 8.5-9.6L/100km.
The Maserati 48 volt hybrid system has four parts: BSG, battery, eBooster and a DC/DC converter. The BSG (Belt Starter Generator) does the job of an alternator, recovers energy during braking/deceleration and charges the battery in the boot, which in turn powers the engine’s eBooster. The reason for installing an eBooster on the car is to back up the conventional turbocharger, working in tandem with it, to sustain the engine’s power output at low rpm. The hybrid system’s operating strategy ensures that the eBooster is always available, via battery or BSG, whenever it is needed.
Ghibli Hybrid is immediately recognisable, thanks in part to the new design of both exterior and interior. The common denominator of the restyling, developed by the Centro Stile Maserati, is the blue colour, chosen to identify all cars with hybrid technology and the new world they represent.
On the exterior, the blue colour characterises the three iconic side air ducts, the brake calipers and the thunderbolt in the oval that encloses the Trident on the rear pillar. The same blue colour reappears inside the car, in particular on the embroidered seams of the seats. The new Ghibli Hybrid also introduces new stylistic contents, starting from the new front grille, with bars redesigned to represent a tuning fork, a musical device that emits a sound of extreme purity, and which also evokes the Trident symbol itself. There are significant changes at the rear of the car, where the light clusters have been completely restyled, with a boomerang-like profile inspired by the 3200 GT and the Alfieri concept car.
In keeping with the Maserati tradition of excellence, customers are offered a wide range of interior materials from which to choose, the most luxurious of which would be the natural “Pieno Fiore” leather, available in Nero (black), Rosso (red) and Cuoio (tan) for comfort and sporty seats, each one with its own stitch options.
Premium fine grain leather (type B) is used on the upper and lower dashboard and on the armrest. The door panels also stand out for their unique, double-stitching pattern. “Pieno Fiore” is like no other leather used in the automotive industry for its natural, soft feel and is processed to develop a unique character throughout the years.
The new Ghibli Hybrid represents the first step in a plan that will lead to the electrification of all new Maserati models and will be available in Europe from September, with Australia and New Zealand to follow at a date yet to be confirmed. The Brand’s first all-electric cars will be the new GranTurismo and GranCabrio, scheduled for 2021.
Photographs by Maserati S.p.A.