Famed Italian sports and GT carmaker Maserati is set to re-enter India. Earlier distributed alongside Ferrari, the Italian brand will now come to India on its own steam. Now to be a part of the Fiat and Alfa Romeo subgroup, rather than Ferrari, the Italian carmaker is expected to launch its first dealership in Mumbai in the coming months. Said to be in close proximity to Mumbai's domestic airport it will, in all probability, be owned and run by the Group Planet Petal from Ahmedabad.
The first cars on offer are likely to be the Granturismo GT car and the Quattroporte four-door. Where as the former is famous for its balance of stunning looks and performance, the updated Quattroporte is expected to garner a lot of attention. The updated V8 engine now gets twin turbos and 530bhp and is the one shared with the new Ferrari 488, albeit with changes. Other Quattroporte models include a 404bhp twin turbo V6 and a smooth 271bhp V6 diesel, designed and built by diesel engine specialists VM Motori.
These will followed by the recently launched Mercedes CLS competitor, the new Ghibli four-door, which will be powered by both the same diesel V6 and twin turbo 404bhp V6 as the Quattroporte. The Ghibli could receive a bit more attention because of its stunning looks and estimated price tag of around Rs 95 lakh (ex-showroom). What is also likely to get Indian customers going is the introduction of Maserati's first SUV, the yet-to-be-launched Levante, expected to hit our shores mid 2016. Exciting times ahead.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Dipan Sur
Dhruv Dhaka
