2015 Maserati Quattroporte, Ghibli review, test drive

Different Strokes

If you thought the exteriors of these cars were a huge departure from the luxury sedan norm, you should see the interiors. It’s easy to point a finger and say all German cars follow templates and are just slightly varied versions of the exact same formula, but you’ll find a similar layout in luxury cars from most other countries too. Not Italy though; they like to do things their own way. The Ghibli’s cabin, for instance, seems like it has entirely too many materials for its own good – various shades and textures of leather, different grains of wood, piano-black plastic, glossy and brushed chrome, the works, and ordinarily, this would be the recipe for a god-awful mess. But again, it’s somehow not. In the Quattroporte, there’s even carbonfibre thrown into the mix, but it all comes together in a classy unison that only the Italians could pull off. If it’s flair you want, you’ve come to the right place. It is, however, the execution of all this flair where things start to go awry. For instance, I have faith that the carbonfibre beneath the generous lacquer coating is genuine, but it feels a little sharp around the edges, which you can feel where it meets the leather dashboard. Similarly, the unpolished wood on the Ghibli’s centre console feels marvellous at your fingertips, but the way the opening cubbyhole doesn’t sit flush with the surface just isn’t something you’d expect in a modern luxury car. I will admit I’m nitpicking – this is still a wonderful place to be sat, but the bar for fit and finish has been set much higher.

The trend continues with the technology in both Maseratis, which while it has most of the functionality you need, but no more, isn’t as polished by the standards of today. The 8-inch touchscreen that operates the infotainment and many vehicle functions, for instance, works pretty logically, but it uses a low-res screen, a rather basic-looking interface and is slow and clunky in its operation. The controls are unconventional too. Grip the smart leather steering wheel and you’ll find buttons not just on the front but, weirdly, at the rear too; you’ll need to play around for a bit to figure out what they do. And while you’ll love the large, metal paddle shifters fixed to the steering column like they are in a Ferrari, you have to reach around them to access the single stalk on the left, which operates the indicators, wipers and the high-beam controls. The last thing you want to do instead of turning on your wipers is shift down a gear. Of course, this is of little consequence to chauffeured owners, who will likely be a lot happier with their half of the cabin. Both cars defy their svelte looks with rear seats that are surprisingly spacious. There could have perhaps been a bit more knee-room in the Ghibli, and the seat is a little snug, but it’s far from uncomfortable, and in fact, feels really plush. The Quattroporte is just huge in the back, with loads of legroom, and even has the option for a central console between the seats and rear entertainment screens; proper luxury, this.