2014 Maserati Ghibli Luxury Sedan – Sleek, Beautiful, Fast and Unique
Luxury Cars - Auto, Sedan, Sports Car Comments (0)
Maserati is not a household luxury name in North America, but it is hoping to change a few minds about its sporty cars and it is counting the new 2014 Ghibli with its styling and luxurious amenities.
The Ghibli will be the first mid-size sports sedan ever in history for Maserati and it will directly compete with the likes of Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, Jaguar XF, Cadillac CTS, Infiniti M56, Lexus GS, Porsche Panamera and BMW 5 Series.
The main lure to get customers into the showrooms is the styling, Maserati hopes. Italy has been know to design some of the most beautiful luxury cars, so Maserati is counting on that heritage.
The 2014 Maserati Ghibli is a beautiful car no matter what angle to look at it, its got curves, LED lighting, three grille vents on the front fenders and the signature Maserati Trident badge in the grille. From the rear it is quite attractive with the bulge on the side fenders over the wheels.
Inside the Maserati Ghibli you will find many up-to-date interior styling queues. The trademark analogue clock that Maserati is well known for, supple leather seats and trim, wood trim and sporty white-on-black speedo and tachometer.
The leather wrapped steering wheel has audio and cruise control buttons and you have a choice to upgrade to an optional Bowers and Wilkins high-end audio system. Other technologies inclue a large LED screen in the centre console with more controls like Garmin-based SatNav system.
Lots of interior colours and wood trim options are available like open-pore matte finish wood trim and light tan leather upholstery that goes well with the exterior bright metallic blue paint. Other Polished walnut grain made the real tree wood and darker saddle-brown leather is another choice and of course there is the sporty carbon fibre trim too if you want it. The rear seat does not offer much room, but the Maserati Ghibli’s headroom is better than some in this class of cars.
The Maserati Ghibli’s mechanical components are quite similar to the bigger and costly Quattroporte, alot of the structural components, powertrain and suspension components are re-used. A bit shorter than the Quattroporte the 2014 Ghibli 173 mm shorter in wheelbase, Maserati seem to have cut short the back portion and the rear seat space suffers from this.
In terms of powertrain there are three engines available and all are twin-turbo 60-degree 3.0-litre V6 in configuration. Although a high torque and fuel efficient diesel is available you probably will not see this engine in North America, instead North America will get the gasoline V6 in two choices, a 345 horsepower in the base car and a 404 horsepower in the S and S Q4 trim.
As for transmission the standard 2014 Maserati Ghibli comes with a limited-slip differential, however to really get the power down the Q4 model offers Maserati’s first ever production four-wheel-drive system. A multi-plate wet clutch can split front-to-rear torque from 0/100 to 50/50, depending on driver demand and road conditions. To shift quickly, the 2014 Maserati Ghibli has electronic toggle-style gear shift lever to help you shift quickly, though it takes getting use to.
The engine pulls strongly and there is no turbo lag, the powertrain also has great throttle response and the exhaust sounds amazing. The 2014 Maserati Ghibli’s transmission shifts smoothly, the ZF 8-speed transmission basically similar to other competitors.
The suspension has adjustable electronic dampers with these modes:
- Sport
- Normal
When the speeds get up there, you will notice the difference between the two modes, especially the Sport mode that lets you carve the curves. The handling on this sport sedan superb. With the four-wheel-drive model, there is a touch of understeer going into tight corners, but the front end just digs in and the car handles with confidence.
In conclusion, 2014 Maserati Ghibli is a fast and beautiful sports sedan that handles well, it is definitely unique and distinct…many can’t say that’s my Maserati as most people will have something more common like Mercedes or BMW’s.
The Ghibli has that exotic appeal that turns heads when out on the town and it practical and functional enough for daily use.
Price: $74,000 USD
Engine: 3.0 litre V6, twin turbochargers
Power base: 345 hp, S or S Q4: 404 hp
Torque base: 369 lb.-ft, S or S Q4: 404 lb.-ft
Fuel consumption, L/100 km: base: 9.6; S or S Q4: 10.5
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Editor @ July 4, 2013
