“A real Maserati – and a really cool electric car”

“Maserati and a Dyson engine? I haven’t gotten that far yet.” “A great car. But without the V8 sound it’s unfortunately nothing.” “I associate an Italian sports car with bumps when I start the engine. I had an electric car as a kid – on the Carrera track.”

The new Maserati GranTurismo Folgore, 560 kW or 761 hp, arouses a lot of emotions, especially among petrol heads – people with petrol on their minds. Because the accessory “Folgore” (in German: “Electric”) heralds a revolution under the hood of the sports car, which costs around 200,000 euros: Instead of an eight- or six-cylinder engine, two seats are powered by three electrics. motors, which are powered by a 92 kWh battery are provided with electricity and thus work up to 455 km. Even the fact that the electric sports car has a slightly higher speed of 325 km / h than the versions with a V6 petrol engine (which is still is offered) does not attract customers: “The car looks very good,” says one. a Maserati fan is on facebook “It has the wrong engine.”

Roland Stähler will still have to do a lot of convincing. The former manager of Mercedes, Bentley and Smart has been leading the Maserati business in DACH, Germany, Austria and Switzerland since October 2023. Now he faces the difficult task of leading fans of the traditional brand from Bologna, which was founded 110 years ago, to a new era. To electrify them without letting the tension drop – with all the incoming electricity.

Here’s to the Maserati GranTurismo and GrandCabrio, which will be launched in the second half of the year. Also on the “Folgore” version of the super sports car MC20, which will go on sale in 2025. The all-new electric SUV in the E segment and the next-generation, fully electric Quattroporte are also expected to follow by 2028. But first, full attention of Stähler is considering an electric version of the Grecale sports SUV, which is currently starting the electrification of the Maserati model range.

Porsche Taycan and Macan Competition

Stähler is confident that he will succeed in Mission E. He has high hopes for Gracale in particular, as he reveals in an interview with EDISON at the trade show “Flotte!” “This is a real Maserati and a very good electric car – a convincing package,” he says, announcing the first electric car with the legendary trident in the radiator grille. With the model, he hopes not only to score points with women and significantly revive the brand’s customer base, but also to win new fleet customers – as a replacement for the Porsche Taycan or the new Porsche Macan E. “We have a huge, new, electrified capacity to open customer groups to brands.

The terms of this are really good. Visually, the all-wheel drive Maserati Grecale is eye-catching. And with a real list price of 124,301 euros and a monthly payment of around 1,800 euros in the “Tridente” lease or for Rental plan The electric version of the Folgore is close to what Porsche charges for the new electric Macan Turbo (from 114,600 euros) – without the many extras that come as standard with Maserati.

Smiles are guaranteed

The Italian with a height of 4.86 meters and an Italian weight of 2,480 kg does not have to hide from a technical point of view either. Two motors of 105 kW each ensure a system output of 410 kW or 558 hp and a maximum torque of 820 Newton meters. The energy needed for this is provided by a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 105 kWh, which should be good for a range of 501 km if the driving style is not too sporty. 100 km / h is reached in 4.1 seconds, and the top speed of the all-wheel drive is 220 km / h.

These are all impressive values ​​- if you ignore the maximum charging power of only 150 kW. But Stähler does not think that this is a real drawback: “In daily use, for a large number of customers, the added value of a charger more powerful than 150 kW in our Gracale Folgore allows, due to not being too high. the available capacity of the charger and ignoring the benefits of time that is already limited.” There are more important things. “The biggest challenge for us is that the car is recognizable and arouses interest: anyone who drives it,” Stähler is sure, “is sure to leave with a smile.”

“Gerne mehr” als 200 Grecale Folgore

However, the general starting point of an electric car could be better. The CEO of Maserati admits that the end of the government’s environmental bonus for electric cars, the current high price of payments and the debate about the significant loss of value of high-priced electric cars have reduced the buying mood. An additional challenge is the rapid change in the competitive environment: “BEV often finds it difficult to convince customers even in its second year. The pressure to innovate from market entrants is great.”

That is why it is so important to offer a package “that not only builds on the latest technological innovations, but that customers feel comfortable with and that reflects the core values ​​of the brand. After all, the upcoming Maserati GranTurismo Folgore already has an 800 Volt design for of.” fast charging with up to 270 kW.

So Stähler is careful with sales forecasts. Last year, the Stellantis Group luxury brand sold 26,600 cars worldwide, of which “more than 1,000” were in Germany. For the Grecale Folgore and the new series in general, they want to grow – “We can already think of an order of magnitude of 200 cars per year, but we would also like more on the other hand, the Levante model and the Ghibli series are currently being withdrawn – 2024 can also be a challenge in the year This tribute to Maserati.