Going green is the way ahead these days. Even the Italian luxury carmaker has to give in to the need of the hour, as Maserati has confirmed that they’ll develop a plug-in hybrid variant of their first SUV, the Levante. However, developing a new hybrid tech, ground-up seemed infeasible for a carmaker like Maserati. Hence, the Levante hybrid will scrounge analternative powertrain from its FCA stable mate, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
The Trident-badge carmaker realised that of all itssales, less than 10 per cent of the Levante customers will opt for the green variant. Therefore it didn’t seem viable for the carmaker to develop an all-new plug-in hybrid powertrain for their first electrification plunge. By borrowing this technology from anexisting model, Maserati would save a lot of development cost and time required to perfect it. And under the FCA umbrella, the Chrysler Pacifica is their best bet.
However, Maserati asserts that even when the hybrid powertrain is scrounged from a people carrier, the PHEV Levante will be a true-blue Maserati in every sense. Even with the hybrid or electric technology, a Maserati will retain the pleasure of driving associated with the Italian marque’s current crop of cars. The hybrid powertrain from Pacifica Hybrid uses a combination of a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre engine with two electric motors and a 16 kWh battery located under the floor.
The PHEV Levante will spearhead the alternative powertrain for Maserati, the Ghibli and Quattroporte will follow a few years down the line. We hope to see Maserati retain their Italian charm and bring out more fun-to-drive cars alongside the electric ones.
