MASERATI has published the first pictures of its new Ghibli saloon, which will be seen in the metal at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month.

High prices and big thirsty petrol engines put previous Maseratis out of reach for most business motorists but things may just be different this time around.

That’s because the Ghibli will be the first Maserati to be offered with a diesel engine, a 3.0-litre V6, which should make more sense in a business car. It will be offered alongside two turbocharged petrol engines of similar capacity and format. Rear-wheel drive and ‘Q4’ all-wheel drive powertrains will be offered, and all cars will be fitted with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

And by Maserati’s standards, the Ghibli is expected to be a big seller; the company sees the new model playing a key role in its eventual target of shifting 50,000 cars a year in future.