Maserati could be re-entering Formula One as the sponsor for Haas F1 Team. Reports reveal that talks are going on between Gene Haas, owner and FCA president, Sergio Marchionne over the same.

The American team is self-funded since the last two years in F1. In their debut 2016 season, drivers Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez could get 29 points in total and the team was 8th in the constructor's standings. In 2017, Kevin Magnussen replaced Gutierrez. The team stood 8th on the constructor's leaderboard with 47 points in total.

Recently, Alfa Romeo returned to F1 as title sponsor of the Sauber F1 Team. Now, another FCA brand is entering into F1. Both the companies will be working with teams powered by Ferrari engines. Maserati had earlier participated in Formula One during 1940-1960 and Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1957 world driver's championship in a Maserati 250F.

Source - AutoWeek

Maserati has extended the current 3-year warranty on its cars to 5-years. A 5-year service package is also available on 2016 models of the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedan at no additional cost. It also covers certain engine components, accessories and select consumables. Maserati is offering the 5-year warranty on the Gran Turismo as well. The offer is valid till December 31, 2017.

Apart from the Ghibli and Quattroporte, Maserati also offers the Gran Turismo coupe and Gran Cabrio in India. The Italian brand has already showcased its first ever SUV, the Levante, in India. It will be the fifth model in Maserati’s lineup and it is expected to be launched in Q4 2017. 

Maserati imports all its models as completely built units (CBUs) and has two official dealerships in India. Bangalore and Mumbai are the only two cities that have Maserati dealerships and the brand's sole service centre is also located in Mumbai.

Maserati has previewed the Levante SUV in India. The car was put on display from October 5-7, 2017 at DLF Emporio mall in New Delhi. According to the Italian brand, the vehicle will be launched in India in the fourth quarter of 2017. 

The production-spec Maserati Levante made its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Its design is based on the Kubang concept that was displayed the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The front of the vehicle features large grille with vertical chrome slats and a Maserati trident logo in the centre. The grille is flanked by slim headlamp clusters with LED DRLs. The front bumper gets a silver scuff plate and round fog lamps that are placed just under the headlights. The Levante features a coupe-like roofline, vents on fenders and the trident logo on the C-pillar. At the rear, the Levante gets LED tail lights, rear bumper with scuff plate and quad-exhaust tips.

On the inside, the Levante gets a leather-wrapped dashboard with a centrally mounted touchscreen infotainment system and an analogue clock mounted on top of the dashboard. It also gets a twin-pod instrument cluster with a large MID in the centre and a three-spoke steering wheel.

In India, the Levante will be offered with a 3.0-litre, V6 diesel engine that produces 271 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 600 Nm of torque @ 2,000-2,600 rpm. The engine features an integrated start/stop system and is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and a Q4 all-wheel drive system. Maserati claims that the Levante diesel can do the 0-100 km/h sprint in 6.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 230 km/h.

During a conference call to investors, Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FCA said that all new Maserati models will come equipped with some form of electric power from 2019. This announcement is close on the lines of Volvo making a similar statement and Britain and France proposing to ban conventional fuel powered cars from 2040.

He also said that after the development of the next two models, Maserati will completely switch to electric power trains. Other brands under FCA like Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Dodge and Chrysler will also benefit from this electrification. The first electric model will be based on the Maserati Alfieri concept which first debuted at the Geneva Motor show in 2014. It is a two-seater, all-electric sports car based on a new platform.

However, before the complete electrification, the company will launch the plug-in hybrid model of its Levante SUV. Last year, Maserati Europe boss Giulio Pastore said that the Levante platform currently allows hybridisation and they are working on a 2019 launch.

Sergio Marchionne also stated that they were initially unsure of investment in electric, but are now seeing a clearer path ahead.

Source - Autocar UK

Shortly after Maserati published images of the Levante SUV, the model has officially debuted at the 86th Geneva Motor Show and the Italian automaker has revealed key details on its first ever sports utility vehicle.

The new Maserati SUV is based on the Quattroporte and Ghibli architecture and the Levante is propelled by a 3.0L, twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that makes either 345 BHP or 424 BHP. The 424 BHP Levante S does the 0-100 km/h run in a claimed 5.2 seconds with a top speed of 264 km/h, while the 345 BHP Levante has a 0-100 km/h time of 6 seconds and a top speed of 251 km/h. 

The SUV is also available with a 3.0L turbo-diesel V6 that makes 271 BHP. The diesel Levante does the 0-100 km/h run in 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 230 km/h. All the engines are combined with the “Q4” all-wheel drive system and an 8-speed automatic gearbox, with an integrated engine start/stop system.

The SUV rides on a double-wishbone suspension setup at the front and a multi-link suspension at the rear. The Levante's suspension is combined with electronically controlled damping and four corner air-springs providing 5 dynamic ride levels (plus one additional park-position).

The SUV's feature list includes a panoramic electric sunroof, the Maserati touch control system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen display that can also be operated via a rotary control in the central tunnel, a surround view camera and a powerlift tailgate. Materials like premium leather and Ermenegildo Zegna silk are available as an option for the interior trim and upholstery, and the luxury and sport feature packs are available to add a range of personalization options to the exterior and interior.

Driver assistance features include forward collision warning, automatic brake assist system, lane departure warning and blind spot alert.

The Levante is built at the Mirafiori plant in Turin and the first lot of cars have already rolled out. The car has been launched in the Swiss market at a price of 75,900 CHF (approximately INR 51.27 lakh). Maserati will launch the Levante in other European markets later in 2016, with other global markets following soon after.

Italian car maker Maserati has revealed exterior images of the Levante SUV, which is scheduled to be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva International Motor Show.

This is the company's first SUV and it features design traits similar to its existing sports and luxury cars. The front gets new, tapered headlights separated into two elements, with the upper headlight unit connected to the large radiator grille. On the sides are three distinct air vents on the front wings, a "Saetta" logo on the C-pillar and large, frameless windows. The rear features a roof spoiler, LED tail lamps and quad muffler tips.

All versions of this new SUV feature electronic suspension with controlled damping and air springs, which can be set on several levels, "Q4" intelligent all-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Levante will be equipped with both petrol and diesel engines that comply with Euro VI emission norms.

It will be built at the Mirafiori plant in Turin.

After setting up shop in Delhi and Bengaluru, Maserati has announced its entry into Mumbai. The Italian luxury carmaker has tied up with Group Planet Petal and opened Petal Maserati, its showroom in the new Taj Hotel at Santacruz, situated in the airport zone.

The showroom can display up to 5 cars. Maserati's model line-up for India includes the Quattoporte, Ghibli, GranTurismo and GranCabrio. It will also feature a configurator area where buyers can customize their vehicles. This new showroom is said to cost the Italian carmaker US$2 million.

The Maserati workshop is located in Marol, Andheri East, which is a few kilometers from the main showroom. It boasts of a 10,000 sq.ft. area, which houses 6 work bays and a parts warehouse, and will service the entire range of cars from Maserati.

Maserati officially re-entered the Indian market in synergy with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India (FCAI) in July 2015.

Maserati has just inaugurated its Bangalore dealership, in partnership with Jubilant AutoWorks Pvt Ltd. This is Maserati's first dealership in South India, and second in India after the showroom in New Delhi. The dealership is located at MG Road and has space to display 6 vehicles. The dealership caters to other southern markets as well with dedicated sales managers at Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi within the region.

The dealership offers sales and servicing for Maserati’s full range of two-door and four-door luxury and sports cars in South India. Models on display include the Quattroporte, Ghibli, GranTurismo and GranCabrio. The showroom will also have a visitor's lounge, a merchandising section as well as a configurator area where clients can customize their new vehicle.

The next dealership launch is scheduled for Mumbai later this month.

Maserati has officially announced that it will exhibit its Alfieri concept car at the 2015 Dubai International Motor Show, scheduled to be held between November 10 - 14.

The Alfieri is a 2+2 seater coupé concept exhibiting the future design DNA of Maserati cars. This concept is said have taken inspiration from the Maserati A6 GCS-53 designed by Pininfarina in 1954.

This car carries the family face with a large front grill with 6 vertical slats and the Maserati logo sitting in the centre. It has a particularly long, muscular bonnet and a short rear with a sloping rear roof line (similar to its rival - the Jaguar F-type coupé).

The Alfieri is named after one of Maserati's founders, Officine Alfieri Maserati.

Recently, Maserati re-entered India with the Ghibli, Quattroporte, GranTurismo and GranCabrio. The Alfieri, is likely to make its way to the Indian market, although its production version is still some time away.

Thank you to the Team-BHP fan (he prefers to remain anonymous) who sent these images in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing them with other enthusiasts!

Maserati is gearing up to inaugurate its new showroom in Mumbai. This showroom is coming up in the new Taj hotel which is going to open near the airport. It will be run by run by Ahmedabad-based Group Planet Petal.

The showroom is getting ready and will display all four models that the company sells in India. These include the Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans, the GranTurismo sports coupe and the GranCabrio cabriolet.

Rumours suggest that these cars are already at the Mumbai docks.