This year’s Shanghai Motor Show in China is an important event for Maserati as they will be unveiling an strategic new model. the car in question is the new Ghibli mid-size sedan, and it can make or break the Italian car maker, depending on how it does in the market.

Maserati does not have a particularly brilliant history of making small sedans, but this time given the fact that the Ghibli is basically a shrunk Quattroporte; one of the most popular models in the company’s history. The main purpose of this car, though, is to help Maserati achieve its goal of making 50,000 cars a year.

Maserati Ghibli is aimed at those who want a convenient four-door saloon car for everyday, but also like a bit of drama and luxury to make things interesting. Obviously, the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5-series, brilliant though they are at what they do, will not satisfy these group’s desire for having fun while going about their daily grind.

The Ghibli will launch with a V6 turbocharged petrol engine with two power outputs, and a turbo-diesel 3.0-litre V6, the first-ever diesel Maserati’s history. This diesel unit is expected to return average fuel consumption of under 6 liters/100 km. And as for the soundtrack, Maserati has hired Scuderia Ferrari’s former Chief Motorist Paolo Martinelli to make sure you won’t be disappointed.

Also making its debut at the Shanghai Auto Show is a 330 Hp (243kW) V6 version of the Quattroporte, specifically developed for the Chinese market.