Ghibli end

conaero

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34,593
Hearing that the Ghibli will end production in 2023, in a year and a few months time and not have a new model.

The Grecale will debit at the end of this year and probably aimed at filling this gap.

It’s been a love it or hate it car for many not helped by the Diesel engine.

My personal feelings is it’s a decent car but lacked that something special you get with a Maserati.
 

keith

Member
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624
I heard both the Ghibli and QP will end production, to be replaced by an EV saloon which will be four door coupe in style. The current QP in the Trofeo version got an absolute slating in Autocar recently, even more so than the usual slating that In Maserati's get!
 

Andyk

Member
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61,039
Hearing that the Ghibli will end production in 2023, in a year and a few months time and not have a new model.

The Grecale will debit at the end of this year and probably aimed at filling this gap.

It’s been a love it or hate it car for many not helped by the Diesel engine.

My personal feelings is it’s a decent car but lacked that something special you get with a Maserati.

There are two around Chepstow and they do look good especially the face lift one in blue but I think you are right it lacked the Maserati sparkle but I suppose it was never going to be as special as the Gransport, GT, QP etc because of those Chrysler based engines and the audience they where aimed at. Remember hearing the avertisements on the radio that firmly aimed them at the company car market and the issue they had was they just weren’t as good as the competition. You could always forgive Maserati making cars that weren’t as good as the competition because they were stunning had great engines and passion…You yearned to own one and felt good when you walked up to car, opened the door, got in and turned the key as it was always something special but when you take this away you have to be at the top of your game to succeed in this sector I think. Great buy used though…
 

conaero

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34,593
I’d have a Ghibli D as a daily, I just wouldn’t spend the weekend detailing it. Always liked the way it looked.
 

Phil H

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4,107
Although I like the QP VI it does not feel as special as the V, and in particular the interior of the V has a wow factor that the VI lacks. As I have said before, they are different cars for different times, but when manufacturers ramp up the volumes the balance sheet is king and I don't think the accountants understood (or even wanted to understand) Maserati owners - imho they certainly showed no interest in the Maserati heritage. The documentary about the manufacture of the VI conveyed factory enthusiasm and an image of Maserati that wasn't reflected by the UK sales force, so given the added demands placed on dealers I'm not surprised that many of them pulled the plug. Whether the MC20 will herald brand resurgence is anyone's guess, but I fear the damage is already done.

I do agree with Andy "great buy used....".
 
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Hurricane52

Member
Messages
1,211
The end is nigh. The front end is nice. The rear end has always put me off. They do look better than most saloons on the road.

Hope this means no diesels in the lineup - heard some horror stories from a Maserati indie mechanic on Friday about the chocolate nature of the Diesel engine. He was working on it for a big name main dealer who couldn’t fix it. I always thought the best reason for buying a diesel was the ability to do stellar mileages, but apparently these won’t do that.

Still, a nice car if you can find a well looked after petrol S, rather than an ex-fleet hack.
 

Twinspark

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460
The Ghibli should’ve been an Alfa as the 166 successor. I understand why they didn’t because they can charge more for a Maserati and its got more market awareness.
 

Alfabaz

Junior Member
Messages
33
The Ghibli looks quite good and stands out on the road, but it needed a V8 from the start to act as a halo variant and make it a bit special for enthusiasts of the marque. The rear quarters are also too cramped given the sector it's competing in.
I heard that a new model will replace both Ghibli and QP and sit between them in terms of size.
 

keith

Member
Messages
624
It should be remembered that the Ghibli Diesel was always the biggest seller, with petrol model sales being minute in comparison. Without the diesel that model wouldn't have even got to square one, let alone being one of Maserati s strongest sellers.
For the typical owner in the executive or luxury sector prior to the dieselgate scandal, it was the only way to achieve any sales success, with petrol alternative s rarely chosen. I think it's fair to say whilst brand enthusiasts have always been a part of Maserati they will not be able to sustain it's future The car buying public all want SUVs, and I can't imagine a vehicle that is further away from the image of Italian sports cars, but we will soon have two such models in the line up, simply because that's what the market wants, rather like Diesel engines once being the future. As was said by Alfabaz the current saloon range is rumoured to be replaced with a model I'm guessing in the guise of the Audi E Tron GT, and it seems to me an EV only saloon along those lines stands the best chance of selling. Although I would add I would think both current models will soldier on untill 2024, when the new car will be revealed.
Meantime over the last week I have covered almost a thousand miles in my Ghibli Diesel travelling to Yorkshire and today the south coast. According to the trip computer I have averaged well over 40mpg, and the car was never anything less than completely effortless to drive, and as always the most stable and comfortable motorway cruisers I have owned. I have had the car for over six years from new, which for me is the longest I have owned a car, and still have no great urge to change. In conclusion, despite being just a humble diesel engined model, my car still receives positive comments and thumbs up from passers by, and funnily enough they don't seem to give a stuff about what kind of engine is under the bonnet, and I think that says it all!
 
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Phil H

Member
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4,107
Meantime over the last week I have covered almost a thousand miles in my Ghibli Diesel travelling to Yorkshire and today the south coast. According to the trip computer I have averaged well over 40mpg, and the car was never anything less than completely effortless to drive, and as always the most stable and comfortable motorway cruisers I have owned. I have had the car for over six years from new, which for me is the longest I have owned a car, and still have no great urge to change. In conclusion, despite being just a humble diesel engined model, my car still receives positive comments and thumbs up from passers by, and funnily enough they don't seem to give a stuff about what kind of engine is under the bonnet, and I think that says it all!
I'm not a fan of diesel Masers but can't argue with that, well done.
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,759
Never been a fan of the Ghibli is is just not special enough, to me it always looked like the Mazda 6.

Th QP Vi however I have always liked other than its sheer size, although when you see one in the flesh it wears it well and always looks special when parked on the street.
 

safrane

Member
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16,748
I wonder if both the Ghibli and Levante have been worth the investment for Maserati? Especially when limited funds could have been spent elsewhere.

I don't see the brand as a stand alone manufacturer, more the luxury end of Fiat and Alfa... with saloon cars being dropped by most mid range manufacturers in favour of pretend 4x4s, Maser were too late with both models.

No wonder so many dealers have given back the franchise being forced to take cars few wanted.
 

allandwf

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10,958
I think they will be looked at as the Biturbo era cars were when they were just old, and at the time, an unloved Maserati.
 

P R

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Messages
1,382
I'll be sad to see the end of it
I am on my second one now (both diesels) and love them. First one did 110k with no (mechanical) issues whatsoever. This one is only on 22k so far
Maserati did lower the price point on it to get new custom. Whether this has worked or not is up for debate. Numbers wise it has, going from sales of a few k per year to around 50k IIRC.