Maserati GranTurismo 2009 Review

Maserati GranTurismo

Road Test

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

The kids' headmaster now knows we had a Maserati in the drive one weekend recently. So do all the other parents, teachers and students within earshot of the neighbour who shouted excitedly about the Italian GT -- across a crowded room at the school.

That's the sort of effect the Maserati GranTurismo has on otherwise rational human beings. The brutal-but-svelte looking coupe attracts far more looks than even the Jaguar XKR reviewed recently, let alone the sedate-looking but awesome Audi RS6 the following week.

How does the GranTurismo stack up against the image it conveys then? The short answer is pretty well, but not perfectly. It doesn't seem as quick or ultimately nimble as the Jag -- and given its added weight, extra space and lower engine output, that's hardly surprising.

But there's a fairly broad line drawn between the smaller, sportier, 2+2 XKR and the genuinely touring-capable Maserati.

With the Italian car, the 'Grand Touring' perception is actually quantifiable. The GranTurismo will comfortably accommodate two adults in the rear seats (just) -- the Jaguar won't. Ride in the GranTurismo, thanks to the optional Skyhook suspension, is superb for a car of this level of dynamic competence. Boot space looks large enough for a bag of golf clubs perhaps, or a couple of small suitcases.

Since we're talking packaging already, let's consider the GranTurismo's in detail. As already observed, the GranTurismo offers a bit more rear-seat accommodation than a 2+2, but the headroom in the rear suitable for average-sized adults only. Kneeroom in the rear is adequate, provided the front-seat occupants aren't too greedy.

Getting in and out of the rear is not that difficult, as long as you're prepared to wait for the powered seat to shift forward far enough. Be patient, it takes time -- just unlatch the front seat, tip forward and the motor will drive the seat base forward to enlarge the space between the seat and the B pillar -- but it takes about 10 or 15 seconds. That may be 10 or 15 seconds waiting in the rain... (Snazzy pop-out coat hooks aft of the B pillars are a good idea, but lose something in execution if you're floundering around in that same downpour with arms full of dry cleaning, trying to locate them as you reach in from outside the car.)

Interior presentation appeals to anyone who revels in fine red leather, chrome highlights, soft-touch black flock for the pillars and headlining, satin-finish plastics and a touch of olde-worlde symbolism: the traditional white-faced analogue clock, the 'Trident' corporate badge and the Maserati cursive type legend in the centre fascia. The interior of the GranTurismo (more particularly the front, than the rear) is a very pleasant place to reside.

When it comes to the driving position, the seat is very supportive and comfortable, yet holds the driver securely in place. This writer found the stretch to the indicator stalk a bit of a reach around the downshift paddle on the left of the steering column.

The analogue speedo has clearly marked calibrations for 50, 80 and 110km/h, but not the standard Australian speed limits of 60 and 100km/h. Drivers will quickly learn to use the digital read-out in the LED between the speedo and the tacho.

Seat heating is adjusted by means of a rotary dial down by the side of the seat, near the seat positioning controls. Some might argue that it would make more sense to place the temperature dial with the HVAC switchgear in the centre fascia. Otherwise, the Maserati's switchgear follows most of the ergonomic conventions, although the new touchscreen interface in the XKR is ultimately more intuitive.

Once on the move, it's clear that the engine of the GranTurismo wants to be your BFF -- Best Friend Forever. It's always present, as a muted hum on the freeway or snarling away as it propels the GranTurismo up a hill.

Thoroughbred Italian V8 at speed? Sounds fantastic. As one of the Carsales Network staff said about the car, who needs an audio system when you have an engine like that?

On a more mundane matter, average fuel consumption during the weekend the car was in our possession 'fell' as low as 16.1L/100km. That's not crash-hot, but sort of on par with our experience in the Jaguar XKR at 15.0L/100km for the same sort of driving.

The GranTurismo is torquey enough for a daily commute in high gears, but is just as at ease with revving to 7500rpm before the automatic transmission takes matters into its own hands and changes up a gear. Throttle response is considerably enhanced by selecting the Sport button on the dash left of the steering wheel at the nine o’clock position.

But a word of caution. The supercharged V8 in the Jaguar XKR is at least as evocative -- and the ZF six-speed box in the Jag is a more effective, faster responding and smoother unit than the six-speed transmission in the GranTurismo. Maserati hasn't quite optimised the GranTurismo's drivetrain the way Jaguar has for the XKR.

In the GranTurismo there's an occasional wait on downchanges and on a couple of occasions, the transmission was caught out when upshifting on a light throttle, thumping into gear. It works better in the Sport mode, which also adjusts the car's ride for a slightly firmer setting.

Even in Sport mode, the GranTurismo's ride is forgiveable, given the car's nature. In normal mode, the Maserati's ride is actually quite supple, courtesy of the optional Skyhook suspension already mentioned. At nearly $7000, it's not a cheap option, but if you're committed to spending $300,000 on a car anyway, you can probably justify the expense.

The GranTurismo has direct steering, but not noticeably so, based on smaller increments of steering lock from on-centre. We presume the Maserati has a variable ratio steering rack -- the specs aren't clear on this -- since the steering's directness becomes more prevalent as you haul on the steering wheel more.

Turn-in is excellent, which is why you're paying top dollar for this car. It wants to oversteer and the only thing holding it back are a bunch of electronic nannies and those Pirelli P Zero 285/35 ZR20 licorice straps at the rear.

Narrower (245/35 ZR20) P Zero tyres are used at the front. It's a reflection on Maserati's fine tuning of suspension steering and tyres that they've got it so right.

With power-off into a corner, the Maserati feels tail-biased, yet there's no sense that it will snap into oversteer with mid-corner lift-off except in extremis. Accelerating through the corner is an eye-opener. The GranTurismo is one car that feels especially stable and consistent doing this, and the steering keeps you fully informed of what's going on at the wheels.

Brakes, for all the rotors' dinner-plate magnitude, don't throw you forward in the seat when approaching a red light. Nor do the pads grind away noisily at slower speeds. They are simply outstanding.

A couple of minor quibbles came to the fore during the three days the GranTurismo was in our possession. The car came to us missing a retracting cover for the headlight washers on one side and an airbag warning light lit up at intervals over the weekend.

Compared with the cheaper XKR, the GranTurismo is a more flamboyant machine -- in case you hadn't already arrived at that conclusion. The XKR can be a little stealthy, but nobody could overlook the Maserati. It's an aggressively styled car, with a ‘nod’ to the famous 250F around the grille but proportions that don't necessarily gel from every angle.

On balance though, it's a handsome car. It's more attractive than the latest Mercedes SL, in this reviewer's opinion and certainly less clinical to drive.

It's hard to find a wrong angle on the XKR, but few will argue that the Maserati makes a much bolder statement. Hence the playground histrionics...

We recently drove the Quattroporte and both GranTurismo models at Sandown International Raceway as part of a guest group invited to try the models on track. Trofeo Motorsport also offers drive days to existing and potential customers at tracks in each state including Eastern Creek Raceway near Sydney.

Maserati's big Quattroporte saloon acquitted itself well on track, with flat, predictable but a touch nose-heavy handling in Sandown's tighter corners and stable feel at speed along the back straight and during the 'dive' down to Dandenong Road corner. For a true luxury grand tourer, the Quattroporte behaved more like a sportscar with ample urge from its 4.2-litre V8.

The GranTurismo is sharper, exhibiting less understeer than the four-door on the track. Response from its 4.2-litre V8 is more vivid without the added 300-plus kilos required by the Quattroporte's 'real' rear seat and the extra doors.

Unfortunately the range-topping GranTurismo S's fancy electro-actuated transmission misbehaved while we behind the wheel, spinning uselessly in between third and fourth gears after a couple attempts to do more than three corners.

We were told not worry; it was a pre-production model... Otherwise, the S treatments make the GT extra eye-catching with its unique design for the 20-inch wheels and interior indulgences like red piping for seat trim.

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