Maserati Ghibli small sedan fast-tracked

Despite only being formally announced six months ago, Maserati’s upcoming ‘baby’ sedan, the Ghibli, will reportedly be revealed as early as April’s 2013 Shanghai Auto Show.

The reason for the speedy rollout is due to Maserati’s ambitions growth plans, with the automaker hoping to boost its annual sales almost 10-fold to as much as 50,000 units per year by the middle of the decade.

To speed up development, the new Ghibli will share its underpinnings with the recently launched 2014 Maserati Quattroporte. In fact, the two cars were largely developed side by side. 

But to help differentiate them, the Ghibli will be smaller in size, with most expecting it to be comparable with a BMW 5-Series or Mercedes-Benz E Class. The Quattroporte, on the other hand, has grown in size to take on the 7-Series and S Class.

The Ghibli will also be the sportier of the two, and, according to Motor Trend, will come with coupe-like styling. This styling will also help differentiate the car from a possible Alfa Romeo version, which would likely feature a conventional sedan body. 

Engines should be the same turbocharged V-6 and V-8 units found in the Quattroporte, though final outputs may differ. Expect Maserati’s Q4 all-wheel-drive system to remain an option.

Production of the Ghibli will take place at the former Bertone plant just outside of Turin, Italy, where the larger Quattroporte is currently being built.

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