Details of the new additions to Maserati Australia’s showroom in 2014.
Maserati Quattroporte (January)
Maserati will kick off a big 2014 with deliveries of its new (Ferrari-assembled) twin-turbo V8-powered Quattroporte GTS in January. The luxury four-door puts 390kW/650Nm to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and performance is rapid, with 0-100km/h covered in 4.7sec, the standing 400m sprint in 12.8sec, and top speed weighing in at 307km/h. Pricing is confirmed at $319,800, with a choice of four- or five-seat configuration offered. Arriving a little later in the first half of the year is the 301kW/550Nm twin-turbo V6 S variant, also able to sprint from 0-100km/h in less than five seconds and reaching a top speed of 285km/h – just 2km/h short of the superseded Quattroporte Sport GTS V8. Pricing for the S is yet to be confirmed, but expect a number in the high $200K bracket.
Maserati Ghibli (March)
Set to arrive in late March/early April, the Ghibli is Maserati’s mid-size, rear-wheel-drive missile, aiming to take a slice of market share away from the usual (mainly German) luxury sedan suspects. Maserati Australia expects to ramp up local Ghibli sales to 1500 units by 2016 – an enormous number for a hitherto niche performance brand. A significant 173mm shorter in the wheelbase, 291mm shorter overall, and 50kg lighter than its big brother Quattroporte, the Ghibli is offered with the choice of a 205kW/600Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 (Maserati’s first diesel), and two versions of a twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol V6: in ‘base’ 243kW/500Nm form, and hero spec, borrowed from the Quattroporte S, pumping out 301kW/550Nm. Technical highlights include a bi-modal exhaust, multi-mode eight-speed auto transmission, mechanical LSD, the majority of body panels in aluminium, and (in response to customer demand) hydraulically-assisted steering. Expect a sub-$200K starting price.