Maserati may be bringing plug-in hybrid powertrains to its product line-up to fill the gap between its existing internal combustion engine, mild-hybrid and battery-electric models, with the next-generation Quattroporte likely to be among its PHEV offerings, Autocar has reported.
The luxury Italian carmaker currently has three powertrain types on offer – an ICE turbocharged V6, mild-hybrid inline-four cylinder and battery-electric, and its CEO Santo Ficili told the publication that the company needs to offer its customers “all the possibilities” as it works towards full electrification.
“I don’t know when we will go totally BEV. For sure in the future, but I don’t know when automotive will go in this direction. It’s a question of timing. In the middle, we need to consider MHEV and PHEV engines, depending on the development of the technology we want to follow,” Ficili told Autocar.
While current models from Maserati are based on platforms which do not readily accommodate PHEV powertrains, group brand sibling Alfa Romeo is soon to launch a new-generation Stelvio and Giulia which are built on the Stellantis STLA Large platform that is EV-first, but also supports ICE, hybrid, hydrogen and range-extender EV powertrains.
While the next-generation Quattroporte is said to be set for a 2028 debut, the next-generation Giulia is said to be due for debut next year, and co-developing the Quattroporte with the Giulia could expedite development of the Maserati sedan model while reducing research and development costs, with a similar gain to be made if the next Levante is co-developed with the next Stelvio, Autocar wrote.
Although there is a need “to keep the two brands separated” in terms of positioning, there remains opportunities for the two brands to share “platforms, electronic architectures, software and probably powertrains,” Ficili said.
The CEO of Maserati and Alfa Romeo had previously indicated that a limited-production flagship product could spawn two models between the two brands, such as the previous-generation GranTurismo that formed the basis for the Alfa Romeo 8C.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
