Maserati GranTurismo will get electric successor, Zeda model looks to the future
But, don't be too sad, because a new GranTurismo is on the way.
It's time to say goodbye to the Maserati GranTurismo , everyone.
Just kidding, it's only "see you later," because the Italian luxury brand has a new GranTurismo and accompanying GranCabrio to go with it in the pipeline. Until then, the GranTurismo Zeda is going to handle so-long duties. Maserati said on Monday that this car, called the Zeda, will travel the world and marks the end of GranTurismo production.
The current plant, the Modena facility, is now undergoing retooling to build a battery-electric car, a sports car based on the Alfieri concept. The next GranTurismo and GranCabrio models will move to the Turin manufacturing hub instead.
All of this is what Maserati called the "dawn of a new era." The next cars will be the first under a new brand strategy focused on electrification and autonomous driving. While prior announcements pegged the Alfieri-based sports car as the first electric car, Roadshow confirmed with the company that the GranTurismo will, in fact, be the first electric model. Maserati could offer one totally electric variant, or perhaps turn to electric powertrains for the whole lineup.
The GranTurismo Zeda, meanwhile, encompasses the past, present and future of Maserati, the company said. The word "Zeda" actually means "Z" in the Modena dialect and references a beginning for every ending.
The rear section of the car begins in a light satin finish but quickly morphs into a burnished effect. Then a shade of blue takes over as the eyes move to the front of the car. It also deepens and gets more vivid toward the finally part of the fascia. Not so coincidentally, Maserati said the shade turns "electric," again signaling its future.
The current GranTurismo has been around since 2007, making it a rather old thing. I, for one, think it's aged rather well from a design standpoint. Nevertheless, it's good to see another grand tourer coming from Maserati. The brand found homes for 40,000 GranTurismo and GranCabrio models in the past 12 years. Hopefully, the next models stir the soul just like these did.
