GranTurismo coupe and its soft-top GranCabrio sibling to be reborn from 2021
Maserati has revealed the first details of an all-new replacement for its GranTurismo model. As part of the company’s plan to launch 14 new or refreshed models by the end of 2023, the new GranTurismo confirms that while Maserati will be launching into new sectors and with new powertrains in the coming years, the GranTurismo and the accompanying drop-top GranCabrio will remain key models in the brand’s future.
The new GranTurismo will launch next year with a similar silhouette to the current model, dominated by a long bonnet, curvaceous haunches and a four-seat cabin. However, the car’s aesthetic will be updated to align with new models like the MC20 supercar and incoming mid-size SUV, so expect to see more-upright oblong-shaped headlights and a repeat of Maserati’s new lighting signature in combination with the classic grille shape and C-pillar motif.
Maserati has also confirmed that two very distinct powertrain options will be available on the new GranTurismo, with both all-electric and traditional internal combustion powertrains being offered. The electric GranTurismo, like all future electric Maseratis, will carry Folgore branding and will feature a total of three motors: one on the front axle and two on the rear, making it all-wheel drive. This triple engine configuration will also support torque vectoring on the rear axle, and will run on an 800V system – similar to the Porsche Taycan – to deliver exceptionally fast charging capabilities.
What the new GranTurismo won’t have is a bespoke chassis like the Taycan’s, but it will instead integrate the very different packaging of an electric powertrain into a familiar internal combustion-based chassis – similar in concept to Audi’s e-tron SUV. We’ll have to wait and see what the battery capacity and expected range will be, but given the model’s name implies grand touring, it ought to be reasonably substantial.
Details about the combustion powertrain are less clear, but with the launch of the MC20 supercar, Maserati’s all-new ‘Nettuno’ twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine has been established as the brand’s future in IC engine technology. This makes it the most likely candidate to power the new-gen GranTurismo. While it was already doubtful that the previous GranTurismo’s naturally aspirated V8 would find a home in any replacement model, the use of the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 employed by the Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante Trofeo also seems unlikely given that it was developed with and is built by Ferrari, which is no longer a member of the same automotive group as Maserati.
With the new MC20 ready to shake up the supercar market, and a renewed sense of confidence within Maserati as the luxury brand to take precedence in the FCA group, the new GranTurismo and its GranCabrio sibling will play their part in Maserati’s next generation.
This article originally appeared at evo.co.uk
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