The photos, which come soon after development models have been seen testing in Italy, show an evolutionarily-styled car, one which draws on the outgoing Quattroporte for styling inspiration. It will aim to compete with BMW’s 7-series and Mercedes-Benz’s S-Class.

In a statement issued alongside the images today, Maserati's CEO Harald Wester said: “Maserati stands today at the edge of an unparalleled strategic and industrial growth that will see our presence in the world rise to 50,000 units a year by 2015. This growth is a challenge for which Maserati has carefully prepared itself and that we all welcome with anticipation.

"It is a growth based on those values of style, elegance, quality, performance for which Maserati has been always recognized and praised in almost 100 years of history. This exciting progression will make the new Maserati a true global player with two new production sites in two different continents and a heart solidly planted in Modena, Italy, where our roots are.

"It is a growth that will be based on three new models entering two new segments of the automobile market – and it starts with the all-new 2013 Maserati Quattroporte," concluded Wester.

Design

Unlike the previous model, which was penned by Pininfarina, the new Quattroporte has been styled in-house. Maserati’s designers have done their best to reinterpret the Chrysler 300's architecture within the project's constraints, but radical touches have been eschewed. Present in the design are various styling hints from Lexus, Jaguar, Infiniti and Audi.

Inside, the cabin has been reworked, but various switches, buttons and the prominent multi-function screen betray its more humble origins; much of the layout being dictated by the American sedan's hard points. Fiat Group failed in its attempts to pass off the 300 as a Lancia model – much more effort has been made to ensure customers feel they are buying a Trident model, but whether it is enough remains to be seen.

"The new Maserati Quattroporte is a high-performance sports luxury sedan that reinterprets the design features of classic Maseratis in a contemporary design language," said Lorenzo Ramaciotti, Head of Maserati Design Center, in the press release today. According to the company, the new car’s style was born out of the guiding design principles of Maserati: harmony of shapes, dynamism of lines, Italian elegance. "More generous in size when compared to the previous model, the new Quattroporte has a design that is at once graceful and sinuous, fashioned to bring out the sporty nature of the car," continued Ramaciotti.

"Some of the elements characterizing the previous model have been purposely maintained: the front grill, the three side vents, the triangular C-pillar. At the same time new style and functional features were introduced: the strong belt line that runs through the entire side of the car giving the new Quattroporte a look and feel that is at once muscular and elegant with frameless doors and three side windows.

"Inside, the design of the Quattroporte aims at essentiality, stressing the simplicity of lines and the full functionality of the in-board instrumentation," added Ramaciotti. "Functional elements are blended with soft quality surfaces made of prestigious woods and refined leathers."

Powertrain

No information is given the engine options, but the press images show a V8-badged engine with pointers toward power of 530 CV. The project has focused on a V8 engine plus a turbocharged version of Chrysler's Pentastar V6. These will be mated to ZF’s eight-speed automatic gearbox, already found in the 300. Maserati has worked to reduce fuel consumption by up to a quarter compared to the previous model. Also optional will be a four-wheel drive system, said to be modelled on that found in Ferrari’s FF.

“The innovative Maserati proprietary engines of the all-new Maserati Quattroporte have all been designed and developed by Maserati and Ferrari engineers in the heart of Italy’s motor valley," said Paolo Martinelli, Maserati Powertrain Director, in the press release today. “As a matter of fact, they are going to be produced in the Ferrari plant in Maranello that has been synonymous with cutting-edge technology and passion for well over 60 years. Passion is indeed the middle name of a whole new generation of Maserati engines that will equip the all-new Maserati Quattroporte and the models that will soon follow her on the market. The passion and state-of-the-art technology that is at the heart of all the new Maserati engines that will be mounted on the next generation of Maserati products have produced engines that are not only more powerful than ever, or more exciting to drive than ever – bust also more eco-friendly than ever before."

Finally, to Roberto Corradi, Maserati Vehicle Development Director, is attributed to the following statement: “Refined technical solutions, an explicit attention to the most challenging targets in terms of performance, comfort, efficiency and safety – these are the key elements of the all-new Maserati Quattroporte. Maserati engineers have worked - with a competence matched only by their passion – in chassis designing and engineering, weight reduction, ergonomic enhancement to develop a car capable of fitting different powertrain architectures and transmission configurations for the most diverse driving conditions but always maintaining Maserati’s trademark best-in-class driving comfort. The results is the all-new Maserati Quattroporte, a luxury sports sedan that reaches new heights in terms of performance and handling, driving enjoyment as well as respect of the world we live in: the best performance ever in the long history of Maserati’s four-door flagship sedan are matched by the unprecedented success in the quest for an eco-friendly automobile. All this done, of course, as you may expect from Maserati, in the spirit of the most severe active and passive safety conditions."

ItaliaspeedTV: Harald Wester / Lorenzo Ramaciotti / Paolo Martinelli / Roberto Corradi