The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore will have a convertible sibling that will create a new niche market for electric vehicles in the USA.
Unveiled on Monday, the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore is expected to arrive in the United States in the fourth quarter as a 2025 model, with a price tag of over $200,000, likely making it the first truly luxurious electric convertible for this market. It will also be the first electric convertible of any kind sold in the USA since the discontinuation of the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive Cabriolet and the Tesla Roadster.
The GranCabrio, a simple convertible version of the GranTurismo Folgore coupe launched last year as Maserati’s first electric vehicle, features a soft top that can be opened in 14 seconds and closed in 16 seconds while driving at speeds of up to 31 mph. Operation is done either by a button on the central console or through gesture controls, swiping and holding left or right on the touchscreen.
This touchscreen measures 12.3 inches and is paired with an 8.8-inch display for climate controls. The leather-lined interior also boasts a 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster and standard neck heaters to make driving with the top down more enjoyable in a broader range of conditions. The GranCabrio also offers 5.3 cubic feet of trunk space, but it reduces to 4.0 cubic feet with the top folded.
Three electric motors, one at the front and two at the rear, deliver 402 horsepower each. That adds up to a nominal output of over 1,200 horsepower, but the actual power is limited to 760 horsepower by the inverters, silicon carbide elements that Maserati claims to have developed for Formula E racing. A synthesized soundtrack is provided, along with regenerative braking capable of achieving a deceleration of 0.65 g, but it stops short (pun intended) of one-pedal driving.
Maserati estimates a 0 to 62 mph acceleration time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph, compared to the coupe GranTurismo Folgore’s 2.7 seconds and 199 mph. So, while the GranCabrio Folgore seemed a potential rival for the upcoming generation of the Tesla Roadster, it’s not in that realm of performance. However, it should be more luxurious, and the available rear torque vectoring adjustable in Corsa driving mode (one of four, alongside Max-Range, GT, and Sport) bodes well for handling.
A T-shaped 92.5 kWh (83.0 kWh usable) battery pack is situated in the transmission tunnel and behind the rear seats, ensuring a 50:50 weight distribution. EPA range is not yet certified, but Maserati estimates around 250 miles. According to Maserati, an 800-volt electrical architecture enables fast DC charging speeds that can achieve a 20% to 80% charge in 18 minutes.
Following the GranTurismo and GranCabrio, Maserati plans to launch a fully electric Folgore version of the Grecale SUV, its current entry-level model. These are the initial steps toward the goal of having electric versions of all models by 2025 and gradually phasing out combustion engines by 2030.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, Maserati’s parent company, has stated that electric vehicle technology is the technology chosen by politicians, not by the industry, so can Maserati inject the right kind of emotion into these vehicles? Or is it simply about appeasing regulators?
