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Maserati may unveil its first hybrid car on April 21st

A PHEV version of the Ghibli could debut at the Beijing Auto Show.

Maserati may be close to dragging its cars into the electrified era. An Automotive News Europe source says the Fiat Chrysler-owned brand will unveil its first hybrid, a version of the Ghibli sedan (above), at the Beijing Motor Show on April 21st. While there aren't many tidbits at this stage, it's poised to be a plug-in hybrid and thus have the option to run entirely on electric power for short stretches.

The company hasn't confirmed anything at this stage. However, it might represent a prime opportunity. Maserati has been struggling in China, with sales dipping 27 percent in 2019. This could spice things up by supporting the Chinese government's push for more EVs and hybrids. As it stands, Fiat Chrysler plans to at least partly electrify over 30 vehicles by 2022, and faces pressure from regulators to shift away from combustion engines on top of that If Fiat Chrysler is going to meet those goals, it has to get started quickly and make changes across all its brands.

You may have to wait slightly longer for pure electric models. It's expected to unveil an electric sports car in May, while the GranTurismo and GranCabrio will return as EV-only models in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Whatever your preferences, there's little doubt that Maserati's lineup is poised to change drastically -- gas-powered vehicles won't be the stars of the show for much longer.