Maserati Quattroporte Review

The Maserati Quattroporte is the flagship, four door, sports saloon from the Trident marque. The sixth generation Quattroporte went on sale in 2013 and has received some updates for the 2018 model year. I recently travelled to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to check out the Maserati range with Maserati GB. I enjoyed an extended test drive in the Maserati Quattroporte 3.0 V6 diesel around Belfast and the Ards Peninsula.

Styling

The Quattroporte is a suitable flagship saloon for Maserati. It’s old-school handsome with imposing dimensions and bearing all the hallmarks of exquisite Italian design. The classic Alfieri-inspired, sharknose grille sets the Quattroporte apart from everything else on the road. For the 2018 model year, the front headlights now incorporate Adaptive full LED technology. At the back there are quad chrome tailpipes, hinting at the car’s potential. There is a choice of eight body colours including Bianco Alpi, Rosso Folgore and Grigio Maratea.

Interior

The cabin of the Quattroporte is of high quality and build, with beautiful materials and textures that make it interesting and luxurious in equal measure. The seats, upper dashboard and armrests are finished in leather and the traditional blue Maserati clock is a neat detail. The headrests feature an embroidered Trident emblem and contrast stitching. For 2018, Maserati has introduced Soft Close Doors, which automatically and quietly closes the doors. Inside, it’s easy to feel quickly at home in the Quattroporte, while there is lots of equipment for your comfort including heated front seats with electric adjustment, lumbar support, and a steering column with electric height and reach adjustment. What results is a fantastic, comfortable, driving position with all the controls at your fingertips. The steering wheel is thick, leather-bound and a joy to hold. Infotainment is provided via an 8.4” touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Practicality

The Maserati Quattroporte will seat five but will be most comfortable as a luxurious four-seater with two large footwells in the rear. The rear bench split folds 60:40. The boot has 530 litres of boot space, comparative with any large saloon.

Engines

The Maserati Quattroporte is available with petrol and diesel engines including the 3.0-litre V6 diesel tested with 275hp, a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine with 430hp, and a 3.8-litre V8 Twin Turbo petrol with 530hp. The V6 diesel is no surprises the best for economy returning up to 6.2 litres/100 km on a combined cycle. The Maserati Quattroporte diesel has pace and pulls strongly with 600Nm of torque. 0 to 100 km/h is 6.4 seconds and the Quatrroporte goes onto a top speed of 252 km/h.

On the road

The Maserati Quattroporte is rear wheel drive though a Q4 model is sold with all wheel drive. An 8-speed automatic gearbox comes as standard. On the road, the Quattroporte is a sporty but comfortable drive. Cabin refinement is excellent with noise insulating glass as standard. The Skyhook system with electronically-controlled dampers is standard on the Quattroporte so there is the ability to switch between more comfort-oriented and sportier driving modes.

The Quattroporte is a big car but it’s agile on the road with precise steering. This is the first Quattroporte to have an electric power steering system, replacing the previous hydraulic system, but retains a lot of steering feel. The car also features a mechanical rear limited slip differential and the Quattroporte moves through corners with remarkable ease and no body roll. It’s utterly composed and athletic. So whether you are looking for a comfortable cruiser for motorways or pin-sharp sports saloon for when the roads get twistier, the Quattroporte has you covered.

And then there’s the noise. I could happily listen to the Quattroporte’s V6 singing to me every day. Forget it’s a diesel; it still sounds wonderful even at low speeds.

Equipment

The Quattroporte is available with two alternative trim packages, GranLusso and GranSport. The Quattroporte GranLusso has a bespoke silk interior by Ermenegildo Zegna, wood and leather steering wheel, wood trim,
a power rear sunblind, four-zone climate control and heated rear seats. There’s also a discreet front spoiler, chrome bumper inserts, body-coloured side skirts and the GranLusso designation on the front wings. There are also 20” Mercurio light alloy wheels with black brake callipers.

The Quattroporte GranLusso has a different front and rear bumper design with glossy black finish, red brake calipers, blue inserts in the Trident and Saetta logos and 21” forged aluminium Titano wheels. Inside there are sport seats, sport steering wheel and aluminium gearbox paddles, along with high-gloss Black Piano wood trim and Inox Sport pedals in the interior.

The Harman Kardon Premium Sound System with 10 speakers is standard across the Quattroporte range.

The new Driving Assistance package is available as an option on all Quattroporte versions and includes Highway Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition.

Pricing

There is no official Irish pricing for the Maserati Quattroporte but in the UK, pricing starts at £70,975 for the Maserati Quattroporte Diesel. The Maserati Quattroporte Diesel GranLusso starts from £79,375 and the Maserati Quattroporte Diesel GranSport from the same price. The Quattroporte V6 petrol starts from £83,275 and the Quattroporte V8 petrol from £116,770.

Verdict

The Maserati Quattroporte is a fine mix between performance, luxury and comfort. Maserati’s individuality is on show here: from the beautiful, silk finished interior to the chorus of the V6, the Quattroporte makes a compelling case for itself in the luxury saloon market. The Maserati Quattroporte is an elegant choice of grand tourer, with the 3.0 V6 diesel providing a seductive soundtrack for any cross-continent cruising you may undertake!

Caroline Kidd