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Maserati Levante could get a V8 to battle the Cayenne Turbo

Maserati's new Levante crossover is based on the platform shared by the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans. The Quattroporte's top engine is a 523-horsepower, twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8. When asked if that engine would fit in the Levante, a Maserati engineer gave the answer we were hoping to hear almost immediately. "Yes, it fits, and we have a prototype already," said Davide Danesin, the head of Maserati vehicle programs. The Levante will launch with two models, both of which use the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that Ferrari builds for Maserati, but in two different tunes. The first generation of the V6 launched in the Ghibli and Quattroporte. While the V8 is only currently used in the rear-drive Quattroporte GTS, Danesin assures us that packaging the V8 and an all-wheel-drive system works. There is that prototype, after all. The fact that Danesin volunteered that a V8 prototype exists leads us to believe it's being very seriously considered, since manufacturers reluctantly acknowledge that there will even be a future, let alone one that will bring new, as-yet-unannounced products. Maserati officials caution that it may be tough to make a case for such a vehicle, however, as the over-500-hp SUV segment is pretty small, at about 12,000 units per year by their estimates. It's also relatively crowded, with the logical bogeys being the Porsche Cayenne Turbo (520 hp) and Turbo S (570 hp) and the Range Rover Sport SVR (550 hp). None of them will touch the Levante's upcoming American cousin, the Hellcat-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, but that's cool. View 21 Photos We'd guess that the yay/nay on a V8 Levante will hinge on the overall popularity of the new model as well as the mix of 345-hp Levante versus 424-hp Levante S models once customers start ordering. Which is to say, if you think you'll want a V8 Levante eventually, get out there and buy a few Levante S models when they hit dealers this October. In other Maserati powertrain news, we're told the second-generation V6, which makes 20 more horsepower in its angriest tune and debuts in the Levante, will show up in the Ghibli and Quattroporte "soon." We'd peg that at mid-cycle refresh time, which should be in a year or so. The second-gen V6 gets its extra power from re-profiled camshafts, some redesign work on the heads, and other tweaks, likely in software. Oh, and for more on the first Maserati crossover and that updated engine, watch for our first drive of the twin-turbo V6 Levante very soon.

Stellantis says it has no intention of selling Maserati

  Stellantis has no intention of selling its luxury vehicle business Maserati or aggregating the unit with other Italian luxury groups, the Jeep maker said on Tuesday. "Stellantis restates unwavering commitment to Maserati's bright future as the unique luxury brand of the 14 Stellantis brands," the carmaker said in a statement, while also reaffirming commitment to its entire portfolio. Carlos Tavares, the Netherlands-based automaker's chief, warned last week that if the company's loss-making brands "don't make money, we'll shut them down". The comments came after Stellantis delivered worse-than-expected results for the first half. The Chrysler-parent does not release figures for individual brands, except for Maserati, which reported an adjusted operating loss of 82 million euros for the first half of the year. Some analysts had previously noted that Maserati could possibly be a target for a sale by Stellantis, which the company's chief financial officer did not rule out, while other brands such as Lancia or DS might be at risk of being scrapped, given their marginal contribution to the group's overall sales.

Electric Maserati Grecale Folgore will have over 500 horsepower

Maserati is beginning to release details about its Folgore-badged range of EVs. We know that the battery-powered version of the next Gran Turismo will have over 1,200 horsepower, and Autoblog learned preliminary details (including output and range) about the Grecale Folgore. Due out in 2023, the electric Grecale will share its Giorgio platform with the gasoline-powered model. Pictured in the gallery above, the architecture will incorporate a 105-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and a pair of electric motors for through-the-road all-wheel-drive. Federico De Medio, Maserati's head of vehicle validation, told us to expect over 500 horsepower and more than 300 miles of driving range. "We were able to install the battery pack in the lower part of the car while keeping the Giorgio platform, which is a very versatile architecture that can be multi-energy," he said. "I've heard people say, 'It can't underpin an EV!' Well, you can clearly see that it can." Maserati will rely on lightweight materials, like aluminum and carbon fiber, to partially offset the weight of the battery pack. It will give the Grecale a 400-volt electrical system, a solution chosen for its flexibility, and the motors that will power the SUV will not be the same units fitted to the Gran Turismo. Clearly, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to electrifying a portfolio of models as diverse as Maserati's. But, while electric cars make headlines, gasoline-powered cars make volume, and Maserati isn't giving up on that part of its range quite yet. It tentatively plans to offer only electric cars by 2030, but until then (and maybe even beyond then) it will let customers choose what they drive. "We are one of the few brands still making investments in two technologies: internal combustion and electric," said Bill Peffer, head of Maserati's American division. "People have asked us why. The reason is simple: We're adding products to the lineup, and the [EV] adoption curve is different in different parts of the world, so we're going to let the customer choose. The customer is going to decide what the rate is going to be, and we have the flexibility of ramping up or ramping down depending on demand. There's a long runway between now and 2030."