5
NEWS
DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Maserati Quattroporte due here in 2013
Aussie importer pencils in Q4 launch for Italian marque's luxury sedanAteco Automotive, the local distributor for the Maserati brand, has confirmed that the new Quattroporte sedan will arrive in Australia during the fourth quarter of this year.
And it's likely that Maserati sales people here and around the world will be pushing the new luxury sedan pretty hard, once it's in the showrooms. The Quattroporte, which was revealed yesterday at the North American International Auto Show with help from Maserati CEO Harald Wester (pictured), is expected to form the backbone for Maserati's global sales ambitions.
Consequently, every effort has been made to ensure the new car's broad appeal and its future market relevance. Maserati engineers working on the Quattroporte have stayed within design parameters based around a larger footprint for a lighter kerb mass – pared back by as much as 100kg. Fuel consumption and emissions are reduced by 20 per cent from the figures for the previous model. Yet the manufacturer declares that in spite of sacrificing nothing in the way of luxury or practicality, the new Quattroporte will keep up with many two-door supercars. Posting a top speed of 307km/h, the V8 variant of the new Quattroporte is claimed by Maserati to be the fastest four-door model the firm has ever built.
Key to the car's performance are two new engines, a 3.8-litre V8 and a 3.0-litre V6, which have been designed by Maserati for the Quattroporte application, but are built by Ferrari at its Maranello plant. Induction is by means of direct injection and twin turbochargers for both engines, with the V8 delivering 390kW and 710Nm – up to 200Nm more than the previous model – for an acceleration time of 4.7 seconds to 100km/h.
In contrast, the V6 produces 301kW and 550Nm, which is a higher torque peak than that of the previous model's Sport GT S variant – powered by a 4.7-litre V8. Top speed is 285km/h for the V6 variant and acceleration to 100km/h is knocked over in 4.9 seconds.
Drive is taken via an eight-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels, which are suspended by a five-link independent system. At the front the Quattroporte rides on a double-wishbone system and the weight of the car is evenly distributed, front to rear.
Inside, the Quattroporte boasts improved rear-seat legroom, thanks to the longer wheelbase, and the alternatives of four or five-seat configuration. Comfort and convenience features on offer will include a touchscreen interface, adjustable pedals, reversing camera, as well as the option of a 15-speaker Watt Bowers and Wilkins audio system and wireless connectivity.
The new Quattroporte is to be built by Maserati at the firm's new manufacturing facility in Turin, Italy.
More news and coverage of the 2013 Detroit Motor Show
Full gallery of 2013 Detroit Motor Show at motoring.com.au
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Share this article
Written byCarsales Staff
See all articlesOur team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe todaySell your car with Instant Offer™
Like trade-in but price is regularly higher
1. Get a free Instant Offer™ online in minutes2. An official local dealer will inspect your car3. Finalise the details and get paid the next business day
Get a free Instant Offer
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Love every move.
Buy it. Sell it.Love it.
®Contact
Advertise with us
Local marketplaces
International marketplaces
Scan to download the carsales app
Want more info? Here’s our app landing page
App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo
are trademarks of Google LLC.