Maserati Unveils Its New 330 Horsepower Ghibli Hybrid Sedan:
Mild-Hybrid Sedan, Makes Waves For Brand's Electric Future...
The Maserati brand has pulled the wraps off of its new 2021 Maserati Ghibli Hybrid sedan, the brand’s first-ever hybrid. The choice to introduce the hybrid technology on the Ghibli sedan is no coincidence, as the Ghibli has produced over 100,000 units since its launch in 2013 and embodies the Modena-based manufacturer’s DNA. But what sets the new Ghibli Hybrid apart from its 2020 model counterpart? Let’s take look.
While the Ghibli Hybrid looks similar to the 2020 model, there are subtle exterior changes to tell it apart. A new blue accent color has been chosen to identify all cars with hybrid technology according to the Maserati design team. The blue color characterizes the three iconic side air ducts, the brake calipers and the thunderbolt in the oval that encloses the Trident on the rear pillar (which explains our recent spy photos with the side badges of the car being covered).
The Ghibli Hybrid also introduces new stylistic contents outside as well, like the new front grille design, which was 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 were also changes done to the rear of the car, like the rear taillight clusters have been completely restyled, with a boomerang-like profile inspired by the 3200 GT and the Alfieri concept car.
Inside, the Ghibli Hybrid receives blue stitching on the embroidered seams of the seats to blend the exterior look to the interior. The new Maserati Intelligent Assistant multimedia system offers the latest-generation of connectivity to the premium sedan. The new Uconnect 5-based software delivers an innovative User Experience fully customizable to the driver’s personal preferences. This also means that the Ghibli Hybrid will also receive the new 10.1-inch infotainment screen from the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica and 2021 Dodge Durango, which has been customized specifically for the Maserati brand.
The debut of the new Maserati Connect program, which enables a constant connection with the car allowing the information exchange continues when on the move, to improve the services offered to the driver has also been introduced. This allows for updating the software packages and allows the system to perform checks on the car and monitor the Safety Security services in case emergencies.
But what is under the hood? Maserati has decided to equip the Ghibli Hybrid with FCA’s proven 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (GME-T4) engine that is found under the hood of many of our favorite FCA products, however, for the Ghibli Hybrid there is a huge boost in power. The 2.0-liter has been upgraded to a whopping 330 horsepower and 332 ft.-lb. (450 Nm) of torque at just 1,500 rpm.
To electrify the engine, a mild-hybrid system consisting of a 48-volt alternator, an additional electric supercharger (e-Booster), all of which is supported by a battery. The system is very similar to the famed eTorque system found on the Ram 1500 lineup. This allows the mild-hybrid system to exploit kinetic energy the car accumulates when in motion, recovering it and transforming it into electricity during deceleration and braking, and store it in a battery that has been mounted in the rear of the car for better weight distribution.
The Ghibli Hybrid is far from a conservative hybrid, with a top speed of 255 km/h (158mph) and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 5.7-seconds. With an optimized exhaust system that features specially designed resonators, the Ghibli Hybrid will still have that distinct Maserati sound.
While the new Ghibli Hybrid represents the first step in a plan that will lead to the electrification of all new Maserati models, the brand will announce their first all-new all-electric cars the new GranTurismo and GranCabrio in 2021.
2021 Maserati Ghibli Hybrid GranSport Image Gallery:
