When was the last time you saw a Maserati Quattroporte? It's been on sale for three years now, and Maserati says more than 24,000 have been sold globally since 2013, but it still seems to be a rare sight. Could it be they're going unnoticed? It's arguably a less beautiful car than the one it replaced...
GranLusso for the more subdued individual
To keep the Quattroporte in the minds of luxury saloon car buyers, Maserati has implemented a facelift which "accentuates its elegance without altering its signature Maserati personality." So there's a visual refresh outside - new bumpers, new grille, more chrome in places - and revisions underneath to keep it competitive against new rivals like the
BMW M760Li
Audi S8 Plus
and Mercedes S65 AMG. Because if you're having a Quattroporte you're having the one with the Ferrari-produced V8, right?
Significantly, all Quattroporte models - so that's the 275hp Diesel, the 410hp V6 S and the 530hp GTS - are now available in new 'GranLusso' and 'GranSport' specifications. The former "reinterprets the concept of luxury in a race-bred engineered luxury saloon"; essentially it's the plusher of the two variants, featuring unique wheels, an interior with silk in the upholstery and open pore Radica wood plus heated rear seats and a sunblind.
The GranSport, on the other hand, "underscores the sporty character of the Quattroporte while enhancing the aggressive appearance"; on these images it looks to be the one to have. The wheels are up to 21-inch from the 20s on the GranLusso, there's black in place of chrome outside and Piano Black wood replacing the more traditional wood inside too. The interior is a bit sportier as well, and there's an Exterior Carbon Pack for full luxobarge bragging rights.
GranSport for more, er, sporty types
While power is identical for the Quattroporte models, all three now have higher top speeds. What a delightfully Maserati thing to do. The diesel is now capable of 156mph, the V6 177mph and the V8 192mph. Every little helps, right?
Perhaps more relevantly for any prospective plutocrat is the updated infotainment system, now an 8.4-inch capacitive touchscreen with CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. It's integrated into a restyled centre console, aimed at making the interior look less cluttered. In addition, Maserati now has a new range of driver assist features standard on the Quattroporte, plus adaptive cruise control and - wait for it - a new electronic parking brake.
This updated Quattroporte is available to order now, with prices starting at £70,510 for the diesel. Interestingly both GranLusso and GranSport spec are available at the same price; for the diesel that's £78,910, then £91,150 for the V6 and £115,980 for the V8. A new model should mean deals are around on the outgoing version too; not only are early GTS Quattroportes available for less than £50K, this 2015 car with just 700 miles is £74,950. Of course it will continue to fall, but that looks like a lot of four-door Maserati for the money.