The new Quattroporte is lighter, longer and louder thanks to its Ferrari engine.
The all-new Maserati Quattroporte had a tough act to follow, but after test driving the newest model, we’ve found that it’s longer and lighter, and its V6 twin turbo makes it not only the fastest four-door Maserati ever built, but also the most powerful and efficient.
Buyers can choose from the 3.0-litre V6 and a 3.8-litre V8, both twin-turbocharged direction-injection units designed by Maserati Powertrain and assembled by Ferrari at Maranello. Both have an 8-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel-drive, although the V6 is available with optional all-wheel-drive.
While the original Quattroporte introduced in 1963 defined the luxury sports car segment for the first time, the new version introduced at its 50th anniversary is setting new benchmarks.
The latest model’s styling was created in-house and carries the already-established family look with a classic, vertically slatted grille, luxuriously sculpted sides and a neatly tapered rear. But despite being over 17ft long it still drives like a car half its size, an impression that only increases the harder it’s pushed. It’s partly thanks to a liberal use of aluminum that makes the new car 90kg lighter than the old GTS, as well as a new multi-link suspension set-up at the rear that has been designed with aggressive driving in mind. To offset its scintillating performance, the V8 has lowered both its fuel consumption and emissions by 20 percent over the outgoing Quattroporte.
The interior has clean aesthetics with quality attention to detail at its forefront. The all-leather seats have traditionally styled ribbed inserts that are available in a variety of colours and even bespoke leather options. There’s a straightforward twin-dial fascia set-up straight ahead, with a small screen between the dials and a three-spoke wheel that perfectly splits the difference between luxurious and sporty. Features like the Maserati Touch Control screen, adjustable pedals, reversing cameras and the optional 15-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system, as well as WLAN-based WiFi compatibility with most modern mobile phone systems, means the Quattroporte can stand tall in the technology rankings.
After announcing that they plan to triple their sales figures in the Middle East compared to last year and considering that a high number of the Quattroporte’s were pre-sold before delivery, Maserati are on track for the new model to become their biggest seller. Hot on the heels of the Quattroporte, is the new Ghibli, which will launch later this year followed by the Levant luxury SUV, with the former being described as a rebirth for Maserati.
Technical Specifications:
Price: $143,000
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin turbo V8 and 3.0-litre, twin turbo V6 engines Performance: 479lb ft (530lb ft overboost) at 2000-4000rpm
Top speed: 191mph