Having recently confirmed to Auto Express that an exciting future-gazing concept car will appear at the Paris Motor Show in October, Maserati’s parent firm Stellantis has announced two new production models will join the Italian brand’s line up. Speaking at Stellantis’ Investor Day, Antonio Filosa, CEO of Stellantis, said, “Maserati plays a very special role within Stellantis. As a pure luxury brand with a special customer and a unique legacy. It already has a powerful lineup and looking ahead we intend to straddle its future with two new E-segment vehicles.” Those two new vehicles were shown within the presentation and while the shape of the cars under the cloaks are unlikely to detail either model’s design too closely, one is clearly a high-riding SUV with the other looks like a sleek grand touring coupe. During the Investor Day, Stellantis also announced a new STLA One platform with EV and hybrid multi-fuel capability. Despite its modularity, this new platform won’t sit under the new Maseratis as it can only cater to vehicles between B and D-segments. Further information on the two new Maserati cars will be announced at the firm’s headquarters in Modena in December this year. Before then, the new concept car will give us a look at Maserati’s future design language at the Paris Motor Show. Gilles Vidal, new head of European Stellantis design, told Auto Express: “If you look at the history of Maserati, every two decades or so there’s a massive shift in the design expression. You had the curvy Maseratis in the fifties and sixties, like the Ferraris and the Rolls-Royces of the era. Then it switched to super-edgy design in the seventies and eighties, and then it switched again. Now it’s back to curvy, but in a different way, yet you can say it’s a Maserati. “So, what we are looking at is what’s the next thing for Maserati. Because the current look is now kind of finished, and we’ve started [looking into] this. If you wait a few months, you’ll see what we are thinking.” This was later confirmed to be a concept car at the Paris Motor Show. The historic Italian brand has been under lots of scrutiny over the past few years due to sluggish sales. Its current model range has failed to resonate with buyers, across both its electrified and ICE ranges. To add insult to injury, the high-end car market’s resistance to EVs has subsequently quashed most, if not all of the brand’s momentum. It had planned for electric cars to be a major part of its future. As a direct consequence of this slow-down in EV development, Maserati has seen the cancellation of imminent product lines such as the all-electric MC20 Folgore, while it’s been rumoured that the next Quattroporte has been culled. These decisions have in effect halted the product plan in the short and medium terms, and with nothing in the immediate Stellantis portfolio suitable to underpin future models from the company, things have been looking rocky. However, the confirmation of a Paris concept car and two new upcoming models shows that all is not silent at Modena. What the concept car will be is anyone’s guess at this stage, but expect a big departure from the neoclassical design language that’s been in play for most of the 21st century. Could it be a nod to the SUV, grand tourer or something else entirely? We look forward to finding out. If you’re looking to buy a new high-end motor like a Maserati, make sure to check out the Auto Express Buy a Car service now for all the latest deals...