The Maserati Alfieri is Electrifying - Guaranteed
You read that dodgy joke right – the next Maserati coupe, the Alfieri, is going electric.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ outgoing boss, Sergio Marchionne spent Friday telling the world about his five-year plan that someone else has to deliver. He’s off to terrorise his grandkids if they don’t win every three-legged race.
Maserati’s sales increase increase since 2011 – 700 percent! – is funding two new models to join the Levante, Ghibli and Quattroporte. That means the Alfieri (finally) and a new mid-size SUV to take on the Q5/X3/GLC-sized segment.
The presentation also included two new Alfa Romeo sportscars but what really got our attention was the new Alfieri.
Maserati Alfieri
First shown at a Geneva Motor Show aeons ago (okay, 2014) it looks like it’s finally happening. And it’s a bit unexpected.
The Alfieri is powered by three electric motors and the company says it will sprint to 100km/h (62mph) in two seconds. That sounds familiar. The three motors feature active torque vectoring and drive all four wheels.
Like the Gran Turismo and Gran Cabrio it replaces, it will carry four people but with that kind of performance will give a Ferrari GTC4 Lusso a walloping in a straight line. As well as mashing your kidneys.
Maserati says the battery system is 800-volts and will feature quick charge. The company also reckons the Alfieri will weight just 175kg more than it would if it sported a petrol engine.
Maserati Blue
The same electric tech will also find its way into the new Quattroporte, Ghibli and Levante replacements, offering fully electric and/or plug-in hybrid versions.
In fact, all Maseratis will feature electric or PHEV versions by 2022. The entire FCA Group is going mad for electric in order to ditch diesel, which doesn’t sound like a terrible idea. Guess who is going to make these power units? Ferrari. Join the dots, folks.
All of this is pretty bold for Maserati. Going all-on on electric is part of FCA’s €8 billion electrification spend that will see not just EV Maseratis, but Jeeps, Fiats, Alfas…and Ferraris.
Not going to lie, though – I’ll miss that Ferrari V8 in a Maserati coupe’s nose.
