The Quattroporte is a familiar stalwart of the Maserati range, the stretched profile instantly recognisable in any crowd. This year sees the introduction of Euro 6 emissions compliance, ensuring the car’s continuation alongside the GranTurismo, GranCabrio, Ghibli and Levante.
That means small changes have been made to the Ferrari-built V6 engine under the expansive bonnet of the Quattroporte S. It’s the entry point to the range but it’s hardly bargain-basement territory, with 410 horsepower, leather everywhere you look and luxury as a byword.
Italian style is just... different. Distinctive. Anything but derivative. There’s no chance you’re likely to confuse the Quattroporte with any German, British or Japanese saloon no matter how hard you squint. Some people want to fit in and blend into the background, and for those people the Maserati is not the right choice.
There’s an exotic flavour to driving and owning a Maserati of any kind, but especially a petrol-powered one. A car like the Quattroporte makes a certain statement of intent and confidence that a more efficiency-focused diesel alternative can’t replicate. It’s simply more exciting.
The delicious, multi-layered growl that dominates the immediate surroundings is hushed into a distant gentlemanly rumble
A double-press of the dedicated button on the weighty, substantial key fob opens the boot lid, which swings gracefully upwards to reveal a capacious load bay. The aperture is broad and easy to load bags through, but specify beige carpets for the cabin and that’s also what you get in the boot. It marks easily, so think twice if it’s faced with a life of potentially grubby bags.
Alongside power, exclusivity, style and luxury, refinement is a key component of super-saloon DNA. It’s immediately clear that the Quattroporte is very well sound-insulated. The delicious, multi-layered growl that dominates the immediate surroundings is hushed into a distant gentlemanly rumble, only really coming to the fore with harder acceleration, or in the faster-responding Sport mode.
It’s also geared for high speeds, registering a piffling 1,600rpm at 70mph in the eighth ratio of its excellent ZF automatic gearbox. That, combined with the effortless torque of the turbocharged engine and the relatively heavily-weighted controls, gives the car a very obvious cruising bias. In its standard suspension mode it soaks up bumps effectively, albeit often with a creak or rattle from sections of interior trim.
Sitting behind the large steering wheel it’s easy to appreciate the stunning wood finishes and the broad, soft seats with adjustable lumbar support. The touch-screen interface is also good. The graphics are perhaps a bit dated but the functionality is excellent, with an intuitive interface and Garmin navigation.
This is not a cheap car, and the options list is long and tempting. But that’s par for the course in this part of the market, and the price is in the ballpark for a typical super-saloon customer.
At a glance
Engine
3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol producing 404bhp
Transmission
Eight-speed automatic driving the rear wheels
Performance
Top speed 177mph, 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds
Economy
29.4mpg combined
Emissions
223g/km of CO2