Nothing Will Stop Maserati From Reinventing The Brand

Finally out from under Maranello's shadow, Maserati can spread its wings.

The forthcoming rear-mid-engine Maserati MC20 is a huge symbolic gesture for the storied trident brand, constituting its first supercar since the Ferrari Enzo-based MC12 of 2004 and 2005, and allowing it to step out from underneath Ferrari's shadow. In fact, were it not for Fiat Chrysler's move to spin off Ferrari into a separate business entity in 2016, the MC20 never would have happened; Maserati had previously been barred from going head-to-head with Ferrari, lest it threaten the Maranello brand's dominance.

With the MC20's launch, Maserati will be signaling the start of a truly new era, replete with an overhauled product lineup the brand hopes will nearly triple its sales in three short years, according to Autocar.

As a reminder, kKey to achieving such growth will be all-new versions of the Quattroporte sedan and Levante crossover utility vehicle, expected to arrive in 2022 as North American CEO, Al Gardner, informed us in New York last year.

The Quattroporte is expected to shrink down a bit, splitting the difference between the current model and the more diminutive Ghibli so that the latter sedan can safely be dropped from the lineup. Before it's discontinued, however, the Ghibli is set to get a mild refresh, as will the current Quattroporte and the Levante.

But even more important are Maserati's plans in the utility vehicle space. Autocar reports that a new, smaller crossover will be launched next year, to compete directly with the compact BMW X4 luxury utility vehicle. Considering what a success the Levante has been for Maserati, we're hardly surprised to see the brand going after another hot-selling utility vehicle segment.

But also on the agenda is a brand new version of the Maserati GranTurismo, followed by a new drop-top GranCabrio model, expected to drop in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The cars could pick up where Maserati's 2014 Alfieri concept, originally planned to be the brand's next flagship before the about-face that is the MC20, left off.

Throughout all of these model change-ups will be an emphasis on powertrain hybridization and pure-electric propulsion, and it's rumored that even the MC20 will offer hybrid and battery-electric powertrain options, although exactly what that will look like is unknown.

The 2021 Maserati MC20 is slated to be revealed this September, with a price tag likely north of $100,000 but south of Ferrari's least expensive model, the Portofino.