The Maserati Ghibli promised to be a whole new beginning for Maserati when it made its appearance in 2013. The Ghibli was supposed to be a smaller sedan alternative to the Quattroporte and allow Maserati to target the BMW 5-Series, Audi A6, and the Mercedes E-Class while reaping the rewards of higher sales at the same time. But it appears that the Ghibli experiment will be ending with a report suggesting that Maserati will not make a 2023 version and will use the 2022 model to play its proverbial swan song.
Ghibli, What Happened?
The report comes from the folks at Automotive News, who claim that they got word from inside sources within the company. As mentioned, the Ghibli was supposed to be the spearhead in a broader product push to expand Maserati’s global footprint. But while the Levanta SUV recorded better sales, the Ghibli was adrift from the beginning. Part of this was due to the extensive use of FCA (later Stellantis) parts-bin components, with the Ghibli not doing a good enough job of making itself different from some of its FCA source materials.
These rough edges were inexcusable especially considering that the Ghibli originally started at $76,000 before the price grew to over $80,000 during its 10-year production run. Buyers weren’t fooled, and they flocked in droves to the Ghibli’s competitors during that slice of time. That’s despite the Ghibli being responsible for launching Maserati’s growth into the hybrid vehicle market with that model featuring a 48-volt mild-hybrid setup. However, that variant only arrived late last year, and it’s sadly not meant for U.S. consumption. Thankfully, the Ghibli did manage to get a V8 model, but only in the range-topping Trofeo trim.
Maserati Has Alot On Its Plate
The departure of the Ghibli would give Maserati more flexibility to embark on releasing the new wave of products that were initially projected to appear during the next few years. The Grecale CUV is expected to be released next year and will appear in both ICE and EV form, with the MC20 halo car just about ready to make its way to buyers. The GranTurismo and the GranCabrio are next, and like the Grecale, they will also appear in EV and ICE forms.
As for the Quattroporte and the Levante, they will receive their fair share of changes, including an EV variant. The Quattroporte would resume its role as the only sedan in the lineup, while the next-gen Levante will be aiming to build on some of the solid early sales that it received when it made its way to dealerships. The Levante will also form a potent duo with the Grecale and allow Maserati to have a bigger footprint in the rapidly growing utility vehicle segment.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.