Alexandre
Maserati is at a technological crossroads concerning the future of the Quattroporte. Initially scheduled for next year, the release of this model has been postponed to 2028a decision motivated by the need to take "no performance risks". This postponement seems to have been prompted by a change of platform.
Davide Danesin, chief engineer of the Quattroporte and Granturismo (who has had a long and successful career with Fiat, FCA and then Stellantis), revealed to Autocar that development was halfway through before the project was delayed. The Quattroporte, which was originally to be based on the STLA Large platform, could now change course. The STLA Large is a platform on which Stellantis is selling its prowess, targeting a range of 800 km and offering 0 to 100 acceleration in around 2 seconds.
Asked about the continued use of this platform, Danesin clarified that nothing had yet been decided, adding that it was possible to optimize existing bases rather than opt for something new. "I'm not saying it won't be STLA Large," he said.
In this respect, Maserati is also considering adapting the specific Granturismo Folgore platform for the Quattroporte.. This platform, praised for its agility and driving position close to that of combustion-engined sports cars, uses a T-shaped battery arrangement along the vehicle's column, which lowers the position of the front seats and reduces body roll and pitch.
The final choice of platform has not yet been made.Danesin stresses that each option offers significant advantages for the future of the Quattroporte, which must be remarkable from every angle: style, architecture and performance.
The postponement of the Quattroporte is mainly due to a weight problemWith modern electric vehicles becoming heavier and heavier, this is a problem that Maserati is seeking to control. "Putting all these elements together, we decided that we needed more time to optimize the package," explained Danesin.
This decision illustrates that Maserati is not entirely certain that STLA Large will deliver the expected sporty behavior, and that the Giorgio 1.5 platform, aka Giorgio Sport, already used in the new Granturismo and Grecale, an evolution of the platform inaugurated by the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, could have a longer career than expected. "It's inspired by Giorgio. Internally, we call it Giorgio Sport because it's 60 % aluminum, whereas Giorgio was all steel."
The next major milestone for Maserati will be the arrival of the MC20 Folgore in 2025, followed by a large luxury SUV in 2027, the new Levante, whose platform was not mentioned in this interview.
On the one hand, this announcement only confirms what I was already certain: the Stla large platform, designed in the US, is not as sharp as Giorgio. On the other hand, it's extremely worrying for the new model's release schedule.
Let Maserati keep its platforms. If there's one brand at Stellantis that needs to retain its prestigious aura, it's Maserati. So, like Porsche, Lambo or Alpine, it needs to keep certain specific platforms and engines to give the brand an exclusive look. The STLA Large would be a disaster for Maserati. There's nothing Italian about it. As much as I love Dodge and Jeep, I'm sorry to say that a Maserati on an American platform has nothing prestigious about it.
Finally, the STAL M and L that Stellantis boasts about seem too heavy to me, given the weights of the (E3008 - Dodge charger), the Giorgio Sport EV despite its driving position and dynamism is just right in terms of autonomy, but time isn't on STELLANTIS' side, the others are evolving in the meantime! and we need to find a solution, which I hope won't be found with the Chinese! It's a fact that JLR, despite the fact that their platform is in preparation, has ended up calling on Chery for a modern top-of-the-range EV base (E0X), and that Mercedes, Audi and BMW are already working with other Chinese manufacturers.