Maserati Quattroporte 2015 Launch Review

Maserati is luring new buyers to its Quattroporte sedan by introducing a 243kW (330bhp) model that is Euro 6-compliant and perched about $25,000 below the price of the next most affordable petrol variant in the range, the Quattroporte S.

This new variant, which is expected to draw in younger buyers, and more females, features what amounts to the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 as the Quattroporte S, but with a power deficit of 58kW. Despite that, the 330bhp model will storm to 100km/h in 5.6sec, Maserati claims.

Introduced here for the model year 2016 upgrade, the QP 330bhp features an idle-stop fuel-saving system, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path warning, auto-dipping exterior mirrors, powered boot lid, Siri facility with paired Bluetooth phones, and a Harman Kardon audio system.

Options comprise Bowers & Wilkins audio, new stitching styles, Piano Black gloss trim, new alloy wheel designs and Ermenegildo Zegna silk upholstery.

Leaving aside the detuned (petrol) engine, little has changed in the Quattroporte since the turbo-diesel model tested in June of last year. The Quattroporte remains quiet, composed and an accomplished, luxurious touring car.

But just as much as the turbo-diesel variant, the QP 330bhp variant is a cruiser rather than a bruiser. The new petrol V6 variant frankly struggled with the route selected for the media drive programme. Heading up into the Hunter Valley from Sydney, the Quattroporte faced a challenging series of poorly maintained, patchy, bitumen roads that were bound to highlight the Maserati's firm ride and a couple of problems with power delivery.

The growly V6 is an endearing powerplant, and responds faster in Sport mode than left in the default normal mode. But while the turbocharged V6 wasn't short of power, the 500Nm of torque wasn't as promising as it sounded. As much as 90 per cent of peak torque is available from as low as 1600rpm, but the power doesn't max out until revs as high as 5000rpm. Power delivery thus feels a bit soft as a consequence, and the engine is peaky and a little slow to spool up for overtaking manoeuvres, as one example.

It's a car that's definitely happier with a few revs in hand if the driver is going to insist on tapping all the performance available. If loafing along is more your schtick, save $5000 and buy the diesel.

Fuel consumption on the outbound leg was 13.8L/100km, which included a prolonged period lost in Sydney suburbs and pushing the car along those winding country roads. For the return journey, the QP posted an average of 10.0L/100km, which involved spending a lot of time on the freeway.

NVH comprised tyre roar on coarse-chip bitumen, and some wind noise, but the engine exhaust was the primary source of noise on well-maintained freeways. If you enjoy the engine note – and I do – that's a bonus, but some customers in this market sector will doubtless prefer the chosen car to waft along in eerie silence.

While the Maserati's eight-speed automatic transmission is adaptive and changes down for engine braking on hills, it felt lacking in the gear ratios department, amazingly. On some of the tight switchbacks in the Hunter the Quattroporte was revving too hard in second, but not producing enough power for third. The ZF unit, which was so good in the turbodiesel, uses exactly the same ratios in the Quattroporte 330bhp – with correspondingly mixed results.

While the ride quality was sporty rather than cushy – as I had also found of the Jaguar XF tested six years ago on roads also in the Hunter Valley – the Maserati was more forgiving with the electronic dampers operating in normal mode. In Sport mode the Maserati bounced around more, being deflected by mid-corner bumps, and the heavier steering kicked back. Nevertheless, Sport mode did reduce body roll and improved handling and turn-in on smoother surfaces – and the gain over the Normal mode was significant.

Sport mode is best left for the race track, or at least better maintained roads than we encountered in the Hunter Valley. With the dampers reset to Normal mode, the Quattroporte is still a tidy handling car. The car's attitude is easily adjusted on the throttle, backing off to tuck the nose in and applying power to push the car wider through the corner, much like the Quattroporte Diesel tested a bit over a year ago.

The steering was communicative, but power assistance frequently changed mid-corner, loading up markedly at an inopportune time. At higher speeds – above 60km/h – it worked better and the Quattroporte could then be placed with a greater degree of accuracy on the road.

Just like the diesel Quattroporte, the 330's driving position was not ideal for me. The wheel had to be adjusted high for me to read the instruments, and even reclining the squab to an unaccustomed angle didn't make much difference. Compared with the seats in an S-Class recently tested, I found the Quattroporte's seats were not as comfortable and they lacked the right sort of contouring to hold the occupant properly in place.

It's unfortunate, but the infotainment touch screen is shared with the considerably cheaper Chrysler 300C – as is the indicator stalk on the left of the steering column. There's no single-point controller in the Quattroporte's centre console, unlike most of its competitors, and the touchscreen only allows access to one function at a time. At least there are separate climate controls underneath, plus two distinct means of changing audio system volume and tracks/stations without using the touchscreen – so there is some degree of redundancy at least.

The Quattroporte driven was finished in lovely materials, including Alcantara for the roof pillars, piano gloss back lacquer (optional) for the dash, chrome and Poltrona Frau leather. Set off by a white-faced analogue clock in chrome the whole interior scrubbed up very nicely.

Rear-seat accommodation is competitive with standard-wheelbase variants of large German prestige sedans, with Maserati claiming the Quattroporte betters everything in its class. Headroom back there is fine for average-size adults. The boot, now with a powered lid, is large and useful, but without a spare tyre.

The upshot? In terms of competition, the new 7 Series will be hard to beat, and we know the S-Class is the segment champion. But if you're all done with German luxury sedans, the choice is narrowed down to just Jaguar's XJ or the Quattroporte.

2015 Maserati Quattroporte 330bhp pricing and specifications:
Price: $215,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 243kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 212g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBA