2020 Maserati Ghibli Hybrid showcased, to replace Ghibli diesel

As the world turns towards a sustainable future, it is imperative for all carmakers to look at the cleaner propulsion techniques like hybridisation and electrification. Even the Italian marquees won't be spared from this imperative future, but one can rest assured that these will few of the brands that will fight till the end to safeguard everything we love about automobiles. To that effect, Maserati has today announced its first vehicle for sustainable mobility in the form of the 2020 Ghibli hybrid.

In line with the new world order, we recently attended a digital press meet and spoke to Maserati about their new offering. While talking hybrids, you can sense a bit of resistance in Maserati's tone - the kind we last heard when they spoke about diesels. But there is also plenty of resilience as Maserati accepts hybrids as the foreseeable balance between performance and sustainability. They back it up saying that their new 2.0l turbocharged petrol engine with the 48V electric boost performs comparably to a traditional Maserati V6, but has up to 25% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the V6 petrol.

Furthermore, the e-boost function also gets rid of the turbo-lag so power remains on-tap as you expect of a Maserati. The 2.0l engine is derived from Fiat's Multiair family mated to a Belt Starter-Generator and e-booster, and puts out 330PS and is good for a 5.7s 0-100kmph sprint. It runs a bespoke ECU designed specifically for use with a Maserati, while the range and practicality offered by the hybrid mean that the Maserati Ghibli Hybrid replaces the Ghibli diesel. Maserati also assures that the Ghibli has a natural, alluring soundtrack one expects of an Italian sportscar. Maserati chose mild-hybird over PHEV to keep weight down, and performance in focus over range and economy.

The Ghibli Hybrid also brings along the refreshed design and new features to the range. The 2020 Ghibli features a new hood for improved aero and cooling efficiency. The design theme is more angular than the outgoing car and touches of cobalt blue in the gills of the car highlight the hybrid powertrain. The iconic Maserati grille has been redesigned too. The headlights and taillights feature new detailing and revised colours.

The cabin receives few nips and tucks, hybrid blue accents and stitching, and a new, beautiful, frameless 10-inch infotainment with new and more powerful hardware, a high-resolution touchscreen, new splash graphics and Android-based infotainment software comprising of connected technologies, smartphone connectivity interfaces like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Alexa capability, and the ability to create and store user profiles for better customisability of the infotainment functions.

The satellite navigation comes from TomTom and receives OTA updates like the rest of the infotainment system. The connected technologies also feature Alexa connectivity and extend to the Maserati Connect app for real-time info and positioning of the car. The connected tech will have a staggered roll-out and the India-spec Ghibli Hybrid may not get the feature at launch.

While Maserati is actively looking at expanding its dealer network in India, its existing dealerships will open their order books soon for the Ghibli Hybrid. The car is expected to arrive into India by late 2020 or early 2021 depending on how the COVID situation unfolds.