Maserati Unveils “Affordable” Ghibli Sedan

Maserati SpA has debuted the all-new Ghibli sport sedan ahead of its public unveiling next week at the Shanghai auto show.

The company, a unit of Fiat SpA, did not announce pricing for the car. But the new model will be significantly less expensive that the larger $128,000 Quattroporte sedan Maserati rolled out earlier this year.

The Ghibli is expected to ride on a modified version of the platform that carries the Chrysler 300 sedan. Maserati says the new model, along with an upcoming crossover vehicle, will help it multiply annual sales nearly tenfold to 50,000 units in three years.

Buyers can choose from the Ghibli's standard 3.0-liter V-6 engine or the brand's first oil burner: a 3.0-liter V-6 diesel. An eight-speed automatic transmission powering the rear wheels is standard in either case. An all-wheel-drive system is optional.

The Ghibli revives a name Maserati used for a swoopy fastback sports car it sold in the 1960s and 1970s.