Super saloon and SUV retire, leaving Maserati with a choice of V6 or electric model
The Maserati Quattroporte and Levante have been axed, bringing an end to the firm’s V8 era.
The pair join the smaller Ghibli saloon, which ended production earlier this year having been on sale since 2013, in retirement.
All three were based on the M156 platform developed under Fiat’s ownership of Maserati, and had been built at the Mirafiori factory alongside the new Maserati Granturismo and Fiat 500e.
They were the final cars to offer the twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre ‘F134’ V8 designed by Ferrari, with the 572bhp powerplant bowing out in the Quattroporte Grand Finale (pictured below) – a custom-built car for a US-based owner.
It means Maserati’s line-up now comprises just three core models: the Granturismo, Grecale and MC20, as well as their respective electric and convertible variants.
The brand said in a statement: “Maserati is in a transition period towards electrification with its Folgore BEV program: today the Trident offers GranTurismo and GranCabrio in ICE and BEV versions, Grecale in ICE, mild hybrid and BEV versions, while we confirm that successors of the Quattroporte and Levante are also in preparation.”
The new electric-only Levante is expected to be Maserati’s next all-new product launch, given the electric Quattroporte was recently delayed to 2028.
Davide Danesin, chief engineer of the Quattroporte and Granturismo, told Autocar that development was around halfway complete before it was pushed back. He called the car “an important problem for Maserati”, noting that it has to be “outstanding from any perspective”.
Danesin highlighted range in particular as a hurdle for the brand to overcome, suggesting it would want its flagship model to be capable of more than 373 miles (600km) between charges.
Maserati remains committed to going all-electric in 2028, despite the challenges it is facing with developing its next-generation products.
The cancellation of the Quattroporte, Levante and Ghibli comes days after chief of parent company Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, threatened that Maserati could be sold if its poor financial situation continues.
“We cannot afford to have brands that do not make money,” he told reporters.
Stellantis later pushed back against its chief’s comments, releasing a statement that backed all 14 of its brands. It read: “Stellantis reaffirms its commitment to all its powerful portfolio of 14 iconic brands and recalls that each of them has a 10 year time window to build a profitable and sustainable business, while we acknowledge that volatile markets and temporary situations may cause fluctuations.”
Maserati has acknowledged the hurdle it must now overcome. Its statement on the end of Quattroporte, Ghibli and Levante sales ended: “Maserati is facing a major challenge and must remain focused on its objectives in the coming months.”
