The Maserati GranTurismo sports coupe’s second-generation debuted Monday, sporting a significantly higher price, as the new model is anticipated to cost €200,000, or about $195,900, when it arrives next year, an increase of €50,000 (almost $49,000) from the old model.
Despite not being the most expensive model from the brand, the increased pricing places the Maserati up against the Ferrari Roma and Aston Martin DB11. The MC20 sports car, with a starting price of €238,000, or about $233,000, has that distinction.
The new GranTurismo is the most recent version of a vintage Maserati coupe, the A6 1500 being the first one to be produced in 1947.
Revised powertrains
The new GranTurismo will be offered in Modena trim with the 490-horsepower Nettuno 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6, and in high-performance Trofeo trim, with the same engine, but upgraded to 550 hp. Maserati says the Trofeo reaches 62 mph in 3.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 198 mpg.
Additionally, the company will also offer a battery-electric version, the GranTurismo Folgore. A first for the brand, it’s powered by a 92.5-kWh battery pack and rated at 760 hp. Despite EV powertrain, designers were able to maintain a low of 53.3 inches by shaping the battery pack in form of a T.
According to Maserati, the GranTurismo Folgore uses 800-volt technology to enable fast charging up to 270 kW, adding 62 miles of range in five minutes.
By the end of next year, expect the GranCabrio, the GranTurismo’s convertible sibling, to be battery powered as well as the Grecale midsize SUV goes entirely electric. The brand plans to be entirely electric by 2030.
The GranTurismo’s new architecture makes heavy use lightweight materials such as aluminum and magnesium. Maserati also redesigned the vehicle’s electronic architecture which features advanced level-5 cyber-security and flash-over-the-air update capability.
The inside story
Climb inside and you’ll find the GranTurismo’s cabin has been extensively updated, and features the new Maserati Intelligent Assistant (MIA) Multimedia system an integrated touchscreen interface, a digital clock, and an optional Head-Up Display. A 19-speaker, 1,195-watt Sonus Faber 3-D sound system is optional, a 14-speaker, 860-watt sound system is standard.
Initially, a PrimaSerie 75th Anniversary Launch Edition will be available, with exclusive trim to celebrate the coupe’s 75th anniversary.
Along with the Levante large SUV, all GranTurismo and GranCabrio models will be produced at Stellantis’ Mirafiori facility in Turin.
Maserati’s new approach
The new GranTurismo is emblematic of the brand’s new approach. Rather than competing head-on with German automakers in every segment, the company is being more selective in where it chooses to compete.
“We will never proliferate into as many segments as some of our primary competitors,” Maserati Americas CEO William Peffer said to TheDetroitBureau.com in April. “One of the benefits of Maserati is you don’t see one every street corner.”
That dedication to keeping the brand small and special is a hallmark of luxury manufacturing, class production, not mass production. By keeping its products exclusive and exquisitely made, the company can command higher prices.
The company also established a classic center, Maserati Classiche, last year.
Most importantly, the company received new product alongside the aging Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans, as well as the Levante SUV. The new compact Grecale luxury SUV is the heart of the market, and the company expects it to become their best seller. Maserati also launched its exotic MC20 supercar, which has helped revive the company’s image. The GranTurismo should enhance it further, as luxury coupes are an increasingly rare commodity in a car market beholden to practicality.
