Maserati Will Be Adding Hybrids To Their Lineup

Maserati's boss Harald Wester isn't a fan of electric vehicles, saying they were 'nonsense'. So it seems somewhat ironic that the Italian brand will be adding plug-in hybrid powertrains to most of their lineup.

According to Autocar, the brand will be adding plug-in hybrid variants to most of their lineup by 2020. This is to meet upcoming average emissions targets for various countries.

“We have to do it - it’s that simple. In some countries where it is highly incentivised, they will be a success, in others maybe less so, but there is government and customer demand for such cars," said Giulio Pastore, Maserati’s European general manager.

The first model to get a hybrid system will be the upcoming Levante SUV. This will be followed by the Ghibli, GranTurismo, GranCabrio, and Quattroporte. The Alfieri sports coupe which was planned to launch in 2016 but has been pushed back 2018 will not get a hybrid variation.

The big question is with the introduction of hybrid powertrains to most of Maserati's lineup, will it cause the loss of the soul that the automaker has been known for?

“What I can say is that we will only electrify our cars if it can be done without sacrificing performance. If there’s a sacrifice, then we won’t do it,” said Pastore.