► Maserati Alfieri delayed until 2018
► Granturismo twins pushed back too
► Levante SUV on time, here 2016
Maserati chief Harald Wester told us in 2014 that the Alfieri would debut in 2016 as a coupe and one year later as a roadster. Not so anymore. Maserati still aims to sell 75,000 units a year, but getting there may take a bit longer than expected.
The company has been focusing on getting the Levante SUV right first, to shore up volumes and cream off the juicy profit margins associated with big luxo-4x4s. But the flipside is the sports cars have been delayed.
The Alfieri has now been pushed back to 2018 (coupe) and 2019 (spider). It retains the design of the show car wherever possible, it is exclusively rear-wheel drive, and it can be ordered with the turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 rated at 410 or 520bhp respectively.
Click here for our latest interview with Maserati boss Wester.
New Granturismo delayed too
The GranTurismo/GranCabrio twins are to receive a new infotainment system and several detail mods before the replacement finally arrives in late 2019 or early 2020, later than originally anticipated. Expect an even roomier 2+2-seater with a bigger boot, the familiar Ghibli/Quattroporte DNA and a choice of 410bhp V6 and 3.8litre V8 engines.
While the eight-ender in the Sport version should be good for 530bhp, the rowdy MC delivers in excess of 600bhp, sources say. What about that rumoured MC12-style Birdcage supercar? Can’t do a brand-shaper right now, says Wester. No budget, no engineering capacity.
Maserati SUV plans on track
The Ghibli-based Levante SUV due to arrive at dealers in March 2016 bears no genetic relation to more mundane Jeeps and Alfas – it’s this re-engineering that has gobbled up Modena’s precious R&D resource.
The stylish AWD five-seater will be equipped exclusively with 3.0-litre V6 engines, namely a 275bhp diesel and a pair of 350 and 425bhp petrol units for more profligate customers outside of Europe.
In early 2018, a PHEV version is scheduled to follow. Together with an as-yet-unnamed partner, the Trident brand is also working on a locally sourced BEV for China.