When longstanding Ferrari customers bemoan
the absence of a prancing-horse sedan, Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo points
to Maserati. And while the Ghibli isn’t really a family-friendly Ferrari, its
twin-turbo V-6 was built in the same factory as the 458 and F12. “Face it,”
intones CEO Harald Wester, “who’d want a boring BMW 5-series when they could be
driving a Maseraaati?” (Yes, he enunciated the third vowel like that.)
The Ghibli spearheads Maserati’s offensive
on a luxury-sport-sedan market dominated by German metal. Using hardware from
the 11.5-inch longer, four-door Quattroporte, the Ghibli comes with a choice of
two turbocharged V-6s. The base $65,000 Ghibli sends 345 hp to a limited-slip
rear axle; for $10,000 more, the Ghibli S Q4 delivers 404 hp to all four tires.
There’s no manual gearbox, transmission duties being handled by the same ZF
eight-speed automatic found in a 5-series.
The
Maserati Ghibli S Q4 is a credible first go at an efficient executive car
The base Ghibli runs to 62 mph in 5.6
seconds and, free of electronic intervention, tops out at 163 mph. Keep the
tach needle high, and the Maser feels reasonably brisk, but unless you’ve
pressed the Sport button to sharpen the throttle response, the right pedal is a
bunch of Mormon kids heading to Tijuana for spring break: lots of travel, not
much action.
The S Q4 is unquestionably worth the extra
cash, even if you don’t need all-wheel drive. It’s not just the outright
performance that makes it more desirable, though a 4.8-second 0-to-62-mph run
and 177-mph top speed underline how much the car brings. It’s the extra
midrange kick you expect when there’s a trident badge staring back at you from the
wheel. And far from spoiling your fun, the four-wheel-drive system only sends
power to the front wheels when absolutely necessary, and rarely more than 35
per cent of the available torque. The result is monster traction and a definite
rear-drive feel. Not flamboyant, but it’s certainly fun.
Driving
position is comfortable as long as you don't mind the slight pedal offset
Still, you can’t help feeling that the
engineers have deliberately saved the best for a V-8-powered M5 rival coming
later. Both V-6s make great noise, just not enough of it. Both models change
direction eagerly, thanks in part to 50/50 weight distribution, but the weighty
steering lacks the delicacy of a Jaguar XF’s; the ride, the sophistication of a
BMW 5-series.
Nothing, however, not even the
banana-shaped Mercedes-Benz CLS, has as much road presence as the Ghibli, whose
pronounced arched fenders supposedly tip a hat to past masters like the
company’s 1960s Birdcage racer. The charm offensive continues inside, where
riotous color combinations wait to be plucked from the brochure for those brave
enough to forego the default black or tan leather trim that dominates in this
sector. And this is no case of style over substance. Unlike passengers in the
back of a CLS, those in the Ghibli’s generous rear get decent headroom.
Rear
seats are soft and comfortable, and both head and legroom are competitive
The brutal truth is that cheaper European
rivals are at least as capable in key areas. But the Ghibli drives with a sense
of occasion lacking in any of its competition. That quality kept Maserati
afloat through some dark times, when other reasons to purchase the marque’s
cars were few and far between. Now it’s merely one of many talents. The
luxury-car market suddenly got a lot more interesting.
