At a press conference in New Delhi today, Italian sensation Maserati officially announced its return to India. This will Maserati’s second run in India, with the first being controversially terminated in 2012-13 due to unlawful practises by its official Indian importer – the Shreyans Group.
Maserati will operate in India under Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India (FCAI) through three dealerships in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. AMP Supercars Pvt.Ltd., Bagga Motorcars LLD, and Jubiliant Autoworks Pvt. Ltd. will be represnting Maserati in the respective areas. The showrooms are expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2015. Maserati India has sufficient stock at the moment to start deliveries, but in case of a customized order, a delivery time of 3 months is expected.
Masearti’s newly appointed Head of Operations for India – Mr. Bojan Jankulovski
Maserati will start its Indian sojourn with its entire portfolio, that comprises of the GranTurismo, GranCabrio, Quattroporte and Ghibli models. While the GT/GC is a 2-door sports coupé/cabriolet with grand touring intents, the latter two are 4-door luxury, sports sedans.
Approximate, official ex-showroom prices for the range stand at:
- Maserati Ghibli Diesel – INR 1.1 Crore
- Maserati Quattroporte Diesel – INR 1.5 Crore
- Maserati Quattroporte GTS – INR 2.2 Crore
- Maserati GranTurismo – INR 1.8 Crore
- Maserati GranCabrio – INR 2.0 Crore
Power for the GranTurismo/GranCabrio comes from a 4.2-litre V8 petrol engine, while the hotter S and MC Stardale variants get a 4.7-litre V8 petrol engine. Good enough for 460 HP and 520 Nm of torque, the S sprints from 0-100 kph in 4.8 seconds, while the lighter MC Stardale does it in 4.5 seconds.
The Quattroporte is available with a choice of two petrol engines, while a diesel engine got added to the range recently. The 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine in the S develops 410 HP, enough for a 0-100 kph sprint time of 5.1 seconds (4.9 seconds in case of the all-wheel drive S Q4) and a top whack of 285 km/h. The GTS gets a 3.8 litre twin turbo V8 petrol engine with its 530 HP on tap, good for a 0-100 kph time of just 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 307 km/h. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine is borrowed from the Ghibli (details below).
Maserati’s new money spinner, the acclaimed Ghibli holds more promise in India. Globally, the Ghibli is available with a 3.0 litre Twin Turbo V6 petrol engine delivering 330 HP and 500 Nm of torque. But India won’t be getting the aforementioned petrol variant. What we get instead is the first diesel-powered car in Maserati’s history – the Ghibli Diesel. The 3.0 litre V6 unit delivers 275 HP, which enables the car to surge from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds, with a top speed of 250 km/h.
Related – Maserati Ghibli Review: A Maser Like No Other
Smaller than the Quttroporte, the Ghibli takes the fight to the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Audi A7 and the BMW 6-series Gran Coupe.
Need Alfa also here..