Photo: Maserati
We've known that Maserati is planning plug-in hybrid models for quite some time. Most, if not all, premium SUVs have such a feature and emission regulations coming into effect towards the end of the decade will force the Levante down the same road.
Yet Maserati is a very small operation compared to its German rivals, so developing an advanced powertrain by itself is out of the question. Harald Wester, the CEO of the Italian brand, told Motor Trend at the Geneva Motor Show that "a standalone [PHEV] program would be suicide, so we have to look at FCA."
Unfortunately, the root of the solution is not the electric motor that powers the LaFerrari but the ones used by the Chrysler Pacifica minivan. Production has just started for the regular van in the US, and an electrified version will follow later this year. As for the Levante PHEV, it may take until 2018 to arrive.
The Pacifica Hybrid will combine a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter engine with two electric motors and a 16 kWh battery located under the floor. It's expected to achieve 80 MPGe and do 30 miles per charge in EV mode, reaching a top speed of 75 mph.
Not only is the Levante all-wheel-drive but it also uses twin-turbo engines with a lot more power and torque. Maserati does this PHEV thing because it has to, not because it wants to. Regulations will force every model in the range to have an electrified version by 2020. The plug-in hybrid version of the Ghibli is expected to have CO2 emissions of 70 grams/kilometer in the standard European mixed cycle. Despite being one of the most expensive to develop, Maserati expects the PHEV powertrain to represent less than 6% of overall sales.
The way we figured it, Maserati needs the battery pack and an electric motor that fits between the engine and transmission, like the one used by Audi's Q7 e-tron TDI model. Maserati CEO Harald Wester has also revealed that the diesel model being offered in Europe is never coming to America.
Remember the performance Levante? It was on all the charts when Fiat released its 5-year plan in 2014. Supposedly, it should have the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 with over 560 horsepower (think Ferrari California T). However, it's not really going to happen. "We looked at it and decided not yet," he said.
Unfortunately, the root of the solution is not the electric motor that powers the LaFerrari but the ones used by the Chrysler Pacifica minivan. Production has just started for the regular van in the US, and an electrified version will follow later this year. As for the Levante PHEV, it may take until 2018 to arrive.
The Pacifica Hybrid will combine a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter engine with two electric motors and a 16 kWh battery located under the floor. It's expected to achieve 80 MPGe and do 30 miles per charge in EV mode, reaching a top speed of 75 mph.
Not only is the Levante all-wheel-drive but it also uses twin-turbo engines with a lot more power and torque. Maserati does this PHEV thing because it has to, not because it wants to. Regulations will force every model in the range to have an electrified version by 2020. The plug-in hybrid version of the Ghibli is expected to have CO2 emissions of 70 grams/kilometer in the standard European mixed cycle. Despite being one of the most expensive to develop, Maserati expects the PHEV powertrain to represent less than 6% of overall sales.
The way we figured it, Maserati needs the battery pack and an electric motor that fits between the engine and transmission, like the one used by Audi's Q7 e-tron TDI model. Maserati CEO Harald Wester has also revealed that the diesel model being offered in Europe is never coming to America.
Remember the performance Levante? It was on all the charts when Fiat released its 5-year plan in 2014. Supposedly, it should have the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 with over 560 horsepower (think Ferrari California T). However, it's not really going to happen. "We looked at it and decided not yet," he said.
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