Maserati may bring diesel V8

While many top manufacturers in the luxury segment have phased out their diesel V-8 engines, Maserati is reportedly looking to introduce a new one.

Apparently the automaker sees a void in the market now that the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz are no longer offering a diesel V-8 option on their cars.

The information comes from Car and Driver, which reports that the Fiat Chrysler Group is working on a new diesel V-8 engine aimed at global markets, something that is said to be in strong demand.

The engine is expected to be a turbocharged V-8 unit displacing 4.0 litres and producing as much as 268 kilowatts and 623 Newton metres of torque.

Whether such an engine makes it to production will depend on how well Maserati’s new diesel V-6 engine sells in the upcoming 2014 Ghibli sedan. This engine is a turbocharged 3.0-litre V-6, rated at  202 kilowatts and 599 Newton metres of torque. It is Maserati’s first diesel engine and it was developed together with Ferrari.

There is one other major automaker still offering diesel V-8 engines to luxury buyers: the Volkswagen Group. Its latest model equipped with such an engine is the Porsche Cayenne S Diesel, which sports a twin-turbocharged 4.2-litre V-8 good for 285 kilowatts and a massive 848 Newton metres of torque.

If this isn’t impressive enough, the Volkswagen Group has even more capable diesel engines in the works. Just this week the automaker announced new technology that will allow its diesel engines to deliver an astonishing 100 kilowatts per litre of displacement.

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