It’s already known that Maserati plans on bringing a new baby Quattroporte in 2013, but German magazine, Autobild, has uncovered some more news on the future model. According to them, Maserati is also preparing a diesel version for the new model, internally known as the Maseratina. The diesel version will be powered by a new V6 diesel engine with more than 300 HP and 516 lb-ft torque. It is still unknown whether or not the new engine will also be used in the next generation Quattroporte.
The new Quattroporte will be about 4.90 meters long, matching the lengths of the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes S-class. Recent spy shots have confirmed that it will feature a shorter wheelbase, smaller front brakes, an ill-fitting windscreen, and one exhaust pipe on each side of the rear. These elements will be combined with the latest advanced driver assistance systems.
The baby Quattroporte isn’t the only new model on Maserati’s to do list this year, either. The list of debuts also includes the Kubang in Autumn at the 2012 Franfurt Motor Show and the new generation Quattroporte at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show. All of the GranTurismo versions are also about to enter their new generations.
Maserati has been busy testing their smaller than usual Quattroporte, preparing it for its new generation. A few renderings have crept through the internet, including ours, but actual images of the future sedan have now been revealed by GT Spirit and a few more images scanned from a magazine have been provided thanks to Autoblog.nl.
As previously rumored, the new Quattroporte will be an evolution of the current generation and will feature a brand new design inspired by the smaller GranTurismo models, as well as the Kubang Concept unveiled last year. The model has been built on a new rear-wheel drive platform that can implement a hybrid drive system so expect to see something down these lines fairly soon.
No details have been released for the engine that will be fitted in the Quattroporte, but it is believed that the new Quattroporte will get downsized V6 and V8 engines, mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox.
Now that these images have been released, we’re pretty sure Maserati will unveil the official details on the future Maserati Quattroporte soon, so stay tuned!
UPDATE 01/25/2012: Apparently, one WCF reader has an eye for nonsense and these leaked images of the future Maserati Quattroporte fit the bill. Reader, aleiiakensington, had this to say about the leaked images: "it’s a fake. the first picture shows a chopped interior of the avalon’s interior. check out the c-pillar through the windshield. not only does it not match the design of the exterior’s c-pillar, it is also a mirror image of the c-pillar from this picture the second picture also shows how fake this is. the interior seen on the second pic is again a mirror image from the avalon press photo why do people that make these photochops check the quality of their work?"
Hey, at least we have the magazine images to work with until the official images are finally released.
We already know that the Maserati Quattroporte will be getting a smaller engine in order to reduce fuel consumption, which is something that is quite a trend nowadays. But while the Quattroporte’s competitors, such as the Audi A8 and the Porsche Panamera 4, are making their vehicles longer, Maserati says that their sedan "will not get any bigger."
"Even though our rivals – such as the new Audi A8 – are getting longer, we have to keep it as a sporty alternative," said Fiat design boss Lorenzo Ramaciotti. The new model will be unveiled in 2012 and will be offered with a four-wheel drive system and stop-start technology, that will also help to reduce fuel consumption. Maserati’s goal is to reduce fuel consumption by about 15 percent. Under the hood Maserati will place downsized V6 and V8 engines, as well as an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox (also offered in the BMW 7-Series).
UPDATE 12/22/2011: Good old faithful, Marchettino, has managed to catch a prototype for the next generation Quattroporte out and about on the road. So far, it doesn’t look like much will be changed for the exterior of the luxury vehicle, except for maybe a few tweaks on the vehicle’s front end. The Quattroporte is expected to be unveiled in March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show. Hit the jump for the video.
Hit the jump to read more about the next generation Maserati Quattroporte.
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Fiat chief exec, Sergio Marchionne, has confirmed that Maserati is indeed preparing three new models: a successor to the Quattroporte, a smaller Maserati, and the production Kubang, rumored to be called the Cinqueporte. Moreover, these three models will debut in rapid succession, which is a good thing considering Maserati is keeping mum on which model will be launched first.
"We are being a bit secretive over what you get first because it has implications for the industrial footprint of the group," said Marchionne. "You see, there is a site in Modena that makes the Quattroporte, there’s some debate what happens to that plant after Quattroporte. There is sufficient commonality in what we’re doing between the smaller car and the bigger one that we can do what we want."
Of course, that doesn’t mean that people aren’t going to throw their two cents in. It is believed that the first vehicle to arrive will be the Quattroporte, followed by the Kubang, and then the baby Maserati. It is already known that the Kubang will be heavily based on Jeep Grand Cherokee and that the four-door baby Maserati will be built on a Chrysler 300 platform, but Marchionne says that the four-door will have a completely different suspension and that the engine are "totally Ferrari/Maserati."
After seven years of high end luxury and sales, the Quattroporte is changing it up just a bit to please a greater chunk of the luxury sedan market. One of the major changes befalling Maserati’s flagship model is the addition of a younger brother. The baby Quattroporte will be arriving in the middle of 2012 and is rumored to be priced at $68,000.
The whole idea behind the baby version is to please Maserati customers complaining that the standard Quattroporte was too big. The Italian luxury car manufacturer responded by providing a shorter wheelbase, thereby shrinking the vehicle in general. Recent spy shots have also shown smaller front brakes, an ill-fitting windscreen, and one exhaust on each of the vehicle’s rear end. Say what you want, but we need to see this to believe it which is why we created this rendering as a portal to the future.
As far as power goes, rumors have been circulating that Maserati will be dropping their Ferrari-sourced V8 engines and picking up a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter version of the Chrysler’s Pentastar. This has yet to be confirmed, but seems to be a viable option considering the extreme pressure on automakers to improve fuel consumption. The problem with this engine, though, is that the standard Pentastar V6 only delivers a total of 280 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, a far cry from the Quattroporte’s 400 HP. However, the turbocharging should help out in that department. Whatever the output is, this engine will be mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox.
