Maserati will outline its bold 'new era' model strategy at an event in September, rather than May as previously planned, as the European car industry enters a state of shutdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The event, called 'MMXX: The Way Forward', is still scheduled to take place in the firm's Modena home town and will show how the Italian brand will take its line-up of sports cars, SUVs and luxury saloons into the electric era. It has not yet been confirmed if the new MC20 supercar, described as a spiritual successor to the iconic MC12, will still be unveiled in May.

Maserati's electrification strategy is set to begin later this year with the launch of a hybridised version of the Ghibli saloon.

The BMW 530e rival is expected to be powered by a new plug-in petrol-electric system offering a usable all-electric range and ultra-low-CO2 figures. It will also feature level two autonomous driving capability, with Maserati intending to progress to 'hands-off' level three features in the near future.

The Ghibli will be followed in 2021 by the second-generation version of the Granturismo and Grancabrio, which will feature the brand's first fully electric powertrain. It has been previewed in a brief video and is expected to begin on-road testing in the coming months. A spokesperson confirmed to Autocar that these cars will also be available with petrol engines, but it remains unclear whether they will use an all-new motor or an evolution of the outgoing car's 4.7-litre V8.

As part of parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' €5 billion (£4.43bn) investment programme, Maserati will extensively upgrade its production facilities, but everything will continue to be built in Italy. The firm has invested €800 million (£666m) in adapting its Mirafiori factory for electric vehicle production and anticipates that the facility will "strengthen its position as a world hub dedicated to the electrification and mobility of the future, with a large proportion of its capacity allocated to the production of the brand's new electrified cars".