Maserati GranTurismo 2024 Review

The new-generation 2024 Maserati GranTurismo starts from a whopping $375,000 plus on-road costs in entry-level Modena guise – and an even more staggering $450,000 plus ORCs if you opt for the hotter GranTurismo Trofeo.

For another $25K, you can have the drop-top GranCabrio Trofeo, while the fully-electric 560kW GranTurismo Folgore won’t be priced until closer to the hyper-EV’s arrival in 2025.

For now, a pair of coupes (one Modena and one Trofeo) have been shipped over from the UK for local assessment, but because they’re not yet ADR-compliant they can’t be driven on public roads.

And don’t expect to see any in the wild for a little while yet, because this duo will soon be sent across the ditch for promo duties in New Zealand and the first Aussie customer deliveries won’t begin until around October 2024.

But expect the same lashings of luxury you see here, such as leather upholstery, 12.2-inch digital driver’s cluster, an even bigger 12.3-inch central touch-screen with wireless smartphone mirroring, and an 8.8-inch multi-function display that takes care of climate control and lighting settings – and even includes a button to open the glove box.

The addition of Maserati Connect brings an emergency call function, which can be activated manually or automatically if the vehicle is involved in an accident, while driver assist aids include lane assist with emergency lane intervention, rear emergency braking, a 360-degree camera and parking sensors at either end.

The new GranTurismo is now exclusively all-wheel drive, riding on staggered 20-inch (front) and 21-inch (rear) wheels shod with grippy Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport rubber on our track test, however local customer models will likely get bespoke Pirelli P Zero tyres as standard.

Adaptive dampers are fitted to every GT but only Trofeo gets an electronically activated rear diff lock.

Under the bonnet is a front-mid-mounted 3.0-litre ‘Nettuno’ twin-turbo V6 petrol to replace the previous-gen’s V8, now mated to an eight-speed automatic, producing 360kW/600Nm in Modena guise or 404kW/660Nm as a Trofeo.

The sprint from 0-100km/h takes 3.9 and 3.5sec respectively.

Let’s start with the fact it takes approximately 30 seconds of driving to fall in love with the 2024 Maserati GranTurismo.

Okay, perhaps it’s more lust than love but differentiating between the two isn’t always easy at first.

There’s no menacing rip-roar or snarl to life on start-up, and the twin-turbo V6 doesn’t evoke the same passion and theatrics as the last-gen’s V8. It’s subtle – elegant, even.

It’s not until you flick it into its most potent ‘Corsa’ mode that it really comes to life.

The GranTurismo Trofeo is taut and shifts its weight commendably considering its circa-1900kg mass with two people on board. Sharp gear changes are accompanied by delicious barks and the twin-turbo V6 pulls like a freight train, while there’s braking confidence to match.

That comes courtesy of big six-piston Brembo callipers up front (with 380mm discs) and four-piston grippers at the rear (350mm discs).

From the low-slung driver’s seat, there’s little to detract from the driving experience when you’re finding the limits of the GT Trofeo on the racetrack, even with the smattering of screens and digital controls now in the cabin.

Enormous, fixed shift paddles offer easy, instant gear changes, while a rotary manettino dial fitted to the right side of the wonderfully soft, leather-clad steering wheel makes for swift drive mode selection (Comfort, GT, Sport, Corsa, ESC-OFF).

With just enough time for a brief flick to ‘GT’ mode – albeit as the speedo rapidly approached (and just as rapidly, exceeded) 200km/h down The Bend’s main straight – revealed a much softer, relaxed character. The more compliant drive mode we’re sure would make the GranTurismo much better suited to Aussie roads than a racetrack.

A poke around the second row reveals plenty of space. At 166cm tall, my headroom is decent, and as long as you don’t need loads of toe room, most people should be comfortable.

More under-thigh support wouldn’t go astray but the GranTurismo makes up for a lack of real estate with handy amenities, including a pair of centrally mounted cup holders, air vents and two USB ports (one A and one C).

What’s more, 310 litres of cargo space in the boot might be just enough for four light packers or a set of golf clubs.

A big, sporty grand tourer like the 2024 Maserati GranTurismo might seem like an odd vehicle to launch at a racetrack and that’s because it is.

But if a handful of laps around The Bend’s west circuit reveals anything, it’s that this big coupe is a track weapon. At least for a few laps.

You don’t need to push hard to see how much performance is on offer here, and that comes at a cost. Will those with enough money for a circa-half-a-million-dollar vehicle like the GranTurismo care to consider the consumables – brake pads, rotors and low-profile Goodyear rubber – involved in tracking their car? Perhaps, perhaps not.

But it doesn’t change the fact that this is an expensive car, and although Maserati says that for the majority of GranTurismo customers it’s a ‘third’ (or weekend) vehicle, there are arguably more soul-stirring machines you could buy with similar money for those not tied to the trident badge.

There’s the new Porsche 911 GTS hybrid (from $381,200 plus ORCs) for a start, not to mention a fellow Italian GT, the Ferrari Roma (from $453,000), with the new Bentley Continental GT Speed and Aston Martin DB12 just around the corner.

There are some glaring omissions at this price point: no soft-close doors or seat ventilation ($1700), the latter being just one of plenty of pricey options.

Prospective sports car buyers at this end of the market generally won’t be concerned that colourful brake callipers will add around $1500 to the invoice, nor are they likely to be concerned about fuel consumption, but it’s worth noting the GranTurismo is as thirsty as a V8 on track.

But you don’t buy a car like the Maserati GranTurismo based on how thirsty it is. You buy it because of how it makes you feel and whether it does what it’s built to do, and that’s to be a brisk, comfortable touring car.

The appeal of the 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo is undeniable.

It is brisk, it can be comfortable, and after our brief exposure it’s also plenty capable on track.

And although we’ll have to reserve full judgement until we can test it on local roads, we’ve no doubt the new Maserati GranTurismo will pique plenty of interest.

2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo at a glance:
Price: $450,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Final quarter 2024
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol
Output: 410kW/650Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.2L/100km (WLTP Combined)
CO2: 230g/km (WLTP Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested