The Maserati GranTurismo has been reborn for 2022, marking the Italian brand’s first steps into an all-electric future.
When the news broke that there was a brand-new Maserati GranTurismo on the scene, I had to double check that the old one wasn’t still kicking about in a quiet corner of Maserati’s sales website. The previous GranTurismo was the sort of car that felt as though it would remain on sale forever, such was the stagnation of the Maserati brand prior to Fiat-Chrysler’s merger with PSA. Alas, it turns out that the old car died a silent death back in 2019, however this new model promises to be even quieter upon release…
If you hadn’t guessed, that was a rather strained segue into telling you that the new GranTurismo can be optioned with a fully electric powertrain. That version of the car will be known as the ‘GranTurismo Folgore’ and is set to use propulsion tech derived from the FIA Formula E World Championship.
This means that it incorporates a trio of 300kW motors – one on the front axle, two at the rear (think of it as a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system) – which produce a combined 760hp. They’re powered by a 92.5kWh battery stored away under the seats, but thanks to Maserati’s ‘T-bone architecture’, it’s claimed that this positioning will cause minimal intrusion to the space inside the cabin, or to the way that the car performs dynamically. In fact, it may even improve things, as the Folgore boasts a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. We’ll only know for sure though once it goes head-to-head with its petrol-powered sibling.
Indeed, if mind-bending 2.7-second 0-60 times aren’t your thing, fear not, because the GranTurismo also comes with a choice of two traditional twin-turbo V6s instead. In Modena spec, you’re limited to *just* 490hp being sent to the rear wheels, while Trofeo trim boosts the 3.0-litre block’s figures up to 550hp.
In a car designed to travel cross-country, it’s heartening to hear that the combustion engine hasn’t been totally forsaken just yet. Otherwise, the French Riviera would be littered by rich holidaymakers suffering from a troubling bout of intercontinental range anxiety. That said, if any GranTurismo Folgores do get caught out, they won’t have to be sitting around recharging for long, as the car’s 270kW charging speed makes it one of the quickest on the current EV market.
When you lay the finer details out though, you’d have to say that for now, the V6 remains the more enticing option on paper. A large part of that is down to the fact that it’ll cost roughly fifty grand less than the electrified Folgore. And sure, the EV GranTurismo might boast the more impressive performance stats, but it also tips the scales at 2260kg compared to the petrol car’s 1795kg kerb weight. Although neither are hardly light, the Folgore’s heft is comparable to that of the previous-gen Range Rover, which for a sports car is utterly bonkers.
Maybe we’re missing the point of the GranTurismo by judging it on these elements though. After all, it’s in the name. Despite its svelte lines, this is a grand tourer designed for swanning about rather than driving in anger. So maybe its weight doesn’t matter. If all you want from the GranTurismo is a relaxing environment and plenty of power on tap, then the EV option makes perfect sense.
Besides, if you fancy a petrol-powered Maserati sports car, there’s already a far better option on the market: the MC20, which has recently been enhanced by Novitec.
If you’ve got near-enough £200,000 to spend on a new car though, let us know – which GranTurismo powertrain would you opt for?
