Maserati is preparing its BMW 5 Series-sized Ghibli saloon for a debut later this year, possibly as early as the Shanghai Motor Show next month.
There’s a fair amount of plastic cladding on this early prototype, but the Ghibli clearly takes inspiration from the larger Quattroporte with which it also shares a platform. This includes the sweeping feature line that runs over the rear wheelarches and the narrow wraparound taillights.
Maserati is hoping to boost total sales up to 50,000 by 2015, which is a big ask considering the firm sold 6,288 cars last year. The Ghibli takes the brand into a segment currently filled with models like the Porsche Panamera, Jaguar XF and BMW 5 Series.
To bring wider appeal, the Ghibli will be offered with diesel power, as well as new twin-turbocharged V6 and V8 engines developed with Ferrari. It’s likely that this will be a 3.0-litre V6 diesel borrowed from other Fiat Group models like the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Like the Quattroporte, Maserati will probably offer the Ghibli with rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, although the latter is unlikely to be sold in the UK.
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Early prototype? Layoff the pipe, this is clearly a final version, a pre-production car.