Maserati confirms electric Alfieri

The electric variant will be sold alongside the gasoline-burning model.

Confirming a recent rumor, Maserati has announced the gorgeous Alfieri concept (pictured) that debuted during the 2014 edition of the Geneva Auto Show will spawn its first-ever series-produced electric model.

Peter Denton, the manager of Maserati's northern European arm, told British website Just-Auto that the Alfieri will initially launch with a gasoline-burning engine -- most likely a V8 -- under the hood. The electric model will be added to the Alfieri lineup about a year later, and the two variants will be sold side by side.

Maserati will offer both coupe and convertible versions of its upcoming sports car. Some reports suggested the Alfieri would fight in the same segment as Porsche's 718 Cayman and the upcoming Renault Alpine, but Denton confirmed it will be a much larger model.

"Alfieri will be bigger than Boxster and Cayman. It is being designed as a competitor to the 911 but it will be a larger car. More the size of a Jaguar F-Type," explained the executive.

The Maserati Alfieri will go on sale in 2019 or 2020. It will cost about the same as a Jaguar F-Type, which carries a base price of $61,400 when it's ordered with a V6 engine, a manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. The electric variant will understandably be more expensive.