New four‑cylinder Maserati Ghibli hybrid

For now, though, we have Neptune putting a toe in the electric-car waters with a mild hybrid version of the Ghibli sedan. With a turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a 48-volt starter generator and an electric booster, it has a performance/efficiency balance to rival that of the V6 diesel Ghibli, which in time it is likely to replace.

System power peaks at 330PS (325bhp) with 450Nm of torque from 1,500rpm – more power but less torque than the diesel, but Maserati says a weight saving of 80kg compensates. Claimed 0-62mph for the hybrid is 5.7 seconds, with a top speed of 158mph, so overall it is usefully brisker than the diesel as well as getting closer to it on fuel consumption. Maserati says under the new WLTP regime the hybrid will deliver 32mpg.

More important to many will be what the first four-cylinder Maserati for a long time (you have to go back to 1939 and the 4CL!) will sound like. Maserati admits that one of the challenges it faced was to go electric without altering the brand's characteristic sound. The answer came in the form of an optimised exhaust with specially designed resonators which the firm says ensures the Ghibli Hybrid sounds as sporty as any Maserati.

As a mild hybrid there’s nothing to plug in, no weight penalty of massive batteries and you get a regular petrol model’s touring range, but this is not a car that can drive in emissions-free electric mode. However, as other cars from Ford Focus up have shown, a 48-volt starter-generator can deliver a beneficial double whammy, filling in gaps in the torque curve for a performance boost while recovering energy otherwise lost when you lift-off, for a benefit to mpg and emissions.

Blue, increasingly the electric colour of choice among the carmakers, is used on body and interior accents to distinguish the hybrid version. With flashes of blue on side ducts, brake calipers, the trident badge and seat upholstery, it’s very restrained. As is the restyling: there are tweaks to the front grille but biggest changes are at the rear which, with new lights inspired by the old 3200GT’s boomerang lights, is now much neater. Inside there’s a new instrument panel, larger dashboard screen and improvements to connectivity.

Priced from around £58,220 and available to order now, Maserati’s journey into electrification promises to get busy with the same powertrain likely to pop up in the Levante SUV and the battery-powered new GT and Cabrio models on their way. Plus expect some form of electric wizardry behind the long-awaited new sports car, the MC20, which will be unveiled in Modena on 9 September.