This is the new Maserati Quattroporte, the first and the flagship of a trio of new models that will kick-start the firm’s plans to boost its annual sales to around 50,000 units by 2015, a more than eight-fold increase on its 2011 performance of 6200 units.
The new sixth-generation Quattroporte will be revealed at the Detroit motor show in January and will be followed by a smaller BMW 5-series-rivalling saloon called Ghibli later in the year. A new SUV called Levante will crown the new expanded Maserati line-up, which will include diesel engines for the first time, in early 2014, the year of Maserati’s centenary.
Maserati is not divulging any official details on the new Quattroporte ahead of its Detroit unveiling, but Autocar understands the latest model is longer but lighter than the current four-door saloon.
The next-gen Quattroporte is believed to be based on a new steel monocoque chassis. The new underpinnings mean it should grow to around 5200mm in length, up from around 5052mm compared to today’s car. Much of the increase is understood to have been in the wheelbase, to legroom for rear passengers, something that’s crucial if Maserati is to make the impression it seeks on the Chinese market.
Much of the bodywork for the new Quattroporte is believed to have been crafted from aluminium, meaning the kerb weight of 1990kg of the current car will be reduced by around 50kg to 1940kg in spite of the increase in size.
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