New Maserati Ghibli could get 4.0 litre V8 Diesel

The new Maserati Ghibli – which has the option of a V6 diesel – could get a new V8 diesel with 360bhp if demand for the V6 diesel drives sales.

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The car world is slowly losing its V8s, V10s and V12s as car makers turn to fewer cylinders and forced induction to provide performance with a hint of green. But the V8 may be finding new life as an oil-burner.

The V8 diesel is not exactly the most common engine on offer, but it is an engine Ford makes and is probably best known as the engine of choice in the new Range Rover and the new 2014 Range Rover Sport (finally). We’ve also been championing its credentials as a perfect V8 diesel engine for Jaguar’s XJ, but Jaguar don’t seem to be listening.

But it’s not just Land Rover who’ve got a big V8 diesel in an appealing road car, Porsche also has the new Cayenne diesel S complete with a V8 diesel with oodles of torque, the promise of great headline economy when you’re poodling and a 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds. And now it looks like Fiat are about to get in on the act.

According to Car & Driver, Fiat are developing a new 4.0 litre V8 diesel offering 360bhp and 460lb/ft of torque, not quite up there with Porsche’s V8 and short of Land Rover’s torque figure, but appealing powerful nevertheless.

And it seems that if the new V6 diesel in the Maserati Ghibli finds favour with buyers – which it will – and there’s sufficient demand – which there will be – the new Fiat V8 diesel will be finding its way in to the new Ghibli in the next couple of years.

With the tax breaks diesel cars get over petrol cars, the enormous torque on offer which makes up for less horsepower than a petrol engine, and the promise of great economy when cruising, there’s no doubt a V8 diesel would be a big plus for the Ghibli.

Porsche are reported to be finding the new Cayenne S V8 Diesel the most in-demand version of the Cayenne, and we have little doubt the same would apply to a V8 diesel option in the Ghibli, and would give Maserati the chance to strike deep in to the heart of the German’s uber-diesel offerings.

Are you listening, Jaguar?