Maserati has finally made a formal announcement of returning to India, with a formal press conference being organised on July 15, 2015 in the nation’s capital in New Delhi. The first dealership is expected to enter the country at Mumbai. Group Planet Petal, the Ahmadabad-based group is launching the first dealership. This is the Italian company’s second outing in the country, with the first instalment being rudely terminated in 2012-13. Shreyans Group – the official Indian importer of the first season was following some unlawful practises, which was the main reason for the debacle.
Maserati will begin the Indian journey with Quattroporte, GranCabrio and Granturismo models. It is expected that both the 4-door luxury sports sedan and the 2-door sports cabriolet/coupe will be a hit in the Indian market. Power will be derived from the 4.2-litre or 4.7-litre V8 petrol engine. Incidentally, the Quattroporte is available optionally with a 3.8-litre V8 and 3.0-litre V6 petrol mills and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine.
Maserati also has a key player up its sleeve, the much acclaimed Ghibli sports sedan. It is a promising model and is expected to come with a 3.0-litre twin turbo V6 engine. This engine is capable of generating 330 hp at 5500 rpm, while the torque output for the model is at 500 Nm at 1750 to 4500 rpm. The Ghibli is expected to hit the 100 kilometres per hour in a mere 5.7 seconds at a top speed of 263 kilometres per hour. Ghibli diesel is also up the charts, which is the first Maserati diesel powered car. Its 3.0-litre V6 motor delivers 275 horsepower, which makes the car, touch 100 kilometres per hour from rest in 6.3 seconds at 250 kilometres per hour maximum. The Ghibli will rival against the likes of Mercedes-Benz CLS, BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe and Audi A7.
