After unveiling their first SUV, the Levante, last year, Maserati confirmed that a plug-in hybrid version will follow in a couple of years’ time. However, the Italian carmaker understands that developing an all-new hybrid powertrain won’t be a feasible option, hence the PHEV Levante will scrounge it from the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
Maserati recognises that of all its sales, 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 an existing 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. The PHEV Levante will spearhead the alternative powertrain for Maserati, and the Ghibli and the Quattroporte will follow suit a few years down the line.
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.
