Maserati has introduced the all-new Ghibli, its first-ever mid-size four-door luxury sports sedan, along with a new, 330 hp Quattroporte for the Chinese market. The Ghibli will be offered with the first diesel engine from the automaker, which is looking to boost production to 50,000 cars a year.
The Ghibli features a turbo-diesel 3.0-litre V-6 developed by Maserati engineers under the direction of Scuderia Ferrari former Chief Motorist Paolo Martinelli. The Ghibli applies coupe-like philosophy for the four-door saloon with unique grille and headlights. The grille takes its inspiration from the current GranTurismo. Inside, the Ghibli is set apart from the Quattroporte with its own dashboard design.
The Ghibli will be available with two turbocharged 3.0-litre V-6 petrol engines and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The more powerful of the V-6s will be the twin-turbo unit in the Ghibli S, which produces 410 hp at 5500 rpm and 550 Nm of torque from just 1750 rpm. The rear-wheel drive Ghibli S will reach 100km/h in 5 seconds flat and reach top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph).
The second turbo-charged 3.0-litre V-6 petrol engine available on the Ghibli has 243 kW (330 hp) and 500 Nm of torque and accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds. Both of these engines, with their parallel turbochargers, were developed by Maserati Powertrain in partnership with Ferrari Powertrain and will be built by Ferrari in its world-leading engine construction facility in Maranello.
Sharing much of the technology with the Quattroporte’s 3.8-litre V-8 engine, the V-6 engines use petrol direct-injection technology along with two low-inertia parallel turbochargers, four continuous camshaft phasers and deliver their fuel at around 200 bar of pressure.
The Ghibli will also be offered in a 3.0-litre V-6 turbo-diesel engine, which produces 202 kW (275 hp) of power and 600 Nm of torque. It will sprint 0-100 km/h in just 6.3 seconds.
Based on the architecture of the Ghibli V-6 twin turbo, the Quattroporte’s 3.0-litre V-6 generates 243 kW of power in a flat plateau between 1750 rpm and 4500 rpm. The engine was developed alongside the V-8 by Maserati Powertrain and Ferrari Powertrain engineers. The Quattroporte will accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds.
The Ghibli Diesel, like its petrol counterparts, will feature the Maserati Active Sound system. Two sound actuators, fitted near the exhaust tailpipes, accentuate the engine’s most distinctive tones and modulate them precisely to suit the way the car is being driven.
Photo Credit: Newspress
