GENEVA — Maserati will likely develop a hybrid drivetrain option for its next generation of models, as part of a campaign to improve the increasingly uncompetitive fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of its cars.
Maserati will almost certainly draw on the research Ferrari is doing in this area — it has just revealed an experimental 599 hybrid at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show and can better afford the development costs of putting hybrid hardware into production.
Maserati and Ferrari are no longer part of the same business unit within the Fiat empire, having split in early 2006, but of all of Fiat's auto brands, it is Ferrari whose cars are conceptually closest to Maserati's in hardware terms, and Maranello is already a major supplier.
Maserati will also work to reduce the weight of its range, since the current models are hefty for their type.
Inside Line says: Maserati needs to develop more fuel-efficient powetrains, and using Ferrari technology should speed the process. — Richard Bremner, Correspondent
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