Maserati Quattroporte S 2014 Review

Quattroporte. It sounds so romantic. Far more romantic than it’s literal translation: four doors. But don’t let semantics cloud your perception, for the sixth-generation Quattroporte does indeed have an air of romance about it.

At this price that’s probably to be expected. One look at the lashings of leather, chrome and wood (or carbon-fibre, as was the case in our test car), and the abundance of technology, and it’s pretty clear where your $240,000 goes. The cabin is fitted with just about every modern convenience, is available in four and five-seat layout and even includes a Wi-Fi hotspot.

An optional 1280-Watt, 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system should keep even the most discerning audiophile engaged, while the 8.4-inch touch-screen doubles as a reversing camera and sat-nav display.

The MTC (Maserati Touch Screen), which appears to be a derivative of Chrysler’s Uconnect system, also controls front seat heating and ventilation and the rear window shade, allowing back-seat passengers to better enjoy the (optional) dual rear 10.4-inch LCD displays.

Sumptuous 12-way electrically-adjusted seats are, like the remainder of the cabin, wrapped in Poltrona Frau leather and provide an ideal vantage point from which to interact with the simple, but elegant three-tier dashboard.

There’s more space than before too, the longer wheelbase gifting acres more rear legroom (+105mm) and increased cargo space, which is up a whopping 80 litres to a cavernous 530.

The ‘S’ is the second Quattroporte model to arrive in Australia this year following the V8-powered GTS, which landed in January as the Trident brand’s headline act.

Now, the twin-turbocharged V6 fills the second billing (although it’s expected to account for 70 of the new Quattroportes sold here this year) with a Maserati-designed, Ferrari-built mill developing 301kW at 5500rpm and 550Nm available between a wide 1750-5000rpm.

The 60-degree six-cylinder engine shares the same bore (86.5mm) and combustion chamber as the 90-degree V8 and employs the same valve control technology, a similar approach to turbocharging and even the same direct fuel-injection system.

The alternator, starter motor, power steering pump and oil pump are near identical. Similarly, the exhaust system of both engines is controlled by pneumatic valves in each bank, which Maserati says “maintain the classic and rich sound characteristic of the brand”.

The system closes in Normal model up to 4200rpm to give a “comfortable and discreet” engine sound, while in Sport mode (and over 4200 revs in Normal mode), the valves open to shorten the distance the exhaust gasses must travel, increasing performance and volume.

Driving the rear wheels (all-wheel drive models are restricted to left-hand drive markets) via an asymmetric limited-slip differential, replacing the previous model’s transaxle, and five-mode eight-speed automatic transmission, the Quattroporte S is capable of accelerating to 100km/h in 5.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 285km/h.

In the 1860kg V6 sedan, which is more than 100kg lighter than the old Quattroporte, they’re figures that beat the performance of the previous-generation’s 4.2-litre V8 by half a second, albeit more efficiently.

Maserati says the new Quattroporte S is capable of consuming as little as 10.4L/100km on the ADR Combined cycle with CO2 emissions of just 242g/km, a saving of around 20 per cent compared to the old model. On test, we averaged 14.7L/100km, according to the trip computer.

The all-new body, penned by ex-Pininfarina designer Lorenzo Ramaciotti, is built at a new plant, and around a new platform that will also underpin the upcoming smaller Ghibli sedan and the Levante – Maserati’s first SUV. It’s more aerodynamically efficient, improving high-speed stability by as much as 24 per cent, and better balanced with weight distribution “near 50:50”, Maserati says.

The Quattroporte S is suspended by a new all-aluminium double-wishbone arrangement at the front and a five-link set-up at the rear. It is damped by Maserati’s proprietary two-mode Skyhook adaptive system and features steel springs and anti-roll bars fore and aft.

Braking is managed by ventilated and cross-drilled discs measuring 360x32mm at the front and 350x28mm at the rear, grabbed by Brembo six-pot (front) and four-pot (rear) callipers. The parking brake is now electric, while the speed-sensitive hydraulic-assisted steering system remains (thankfully) unchanged from the previous model.

As standard, the Quattroporte S rides on 19-inch flow-formed alloy wheels shod with 245/45-series rubber at the front and 275/40-series hoops at the rear. Optionally, 20- and 21-inch wheels are available.

There’s also an increase in the use of aluminium in parts and panels that include the front sub-frame, bonnet, front guards, doors and boot lid, while the dashboard cross-support is made of magnesium.

The reduction in weight and improvement in engine response combine with the improved suspension to deliver a better balanced and more capable package than before. The Quattroporte S feels taut and maintains poise at higher cornering speeds. The trade-off is ride quality that’s a little firm, especially on optional 21-inch wheels and the tweaked suspension software that accompanies them.

On 20-inch rubber, the Quattroporte S is slightly more compliant but requires more extensive use of the suspension damping’s Sport setting to keep body roll in check.

But neither wheel/tyre combination is what you’d call uncomfortable nor, considering their diameter, especially noisy. It’s a trait recurrent throughout the Quattroporte S, which is so quiet on decent sealed roads that you can actually hear a faint buzzing from the electronic throttle servo and a slight vibration from the passenger-side carbon-fibre trim inlay.

But these trivial sounds soon dim under open throttle. The Quattroporte S has a resonate yet rich aural character as the revs crescendo, snarling momentarily as the ZF transmission swaps decisively for its next ratio.

The transmission is quite simply magic in managing the inputs from the throttle and in Sport mode runs smoothly up and down ratios, holding the right cog for cornering as if it’s watching the road ahead.

We found it nearly impossible to bluff the transmission into error and only overrode the unit manually to indulge in that overt exhaust note. It’s a shame, then, that the gear selector -- like the audio head unit -- appears straight from the FCG (Fiat Chrysler Group) parts bin.

The 3.0-litre engine is a willing and athletic performer with a linearity so deceptive you can often hit the rev-limiter when shifting manually, though with so much torque so readily available you only ever need to reach the redline to reward your ears.

Otherwise the engine is effervescent and quite purposeful, delivering acceleration that belies its capacity. It’s quick, no doubt about it, and though it doesn’t have the outright grunt of the V8, it’s such a capable unit we can’t wait to sample in the lighter, smaller Ghibli.

Reining in all this enthusiasm are brakes that make light work of the Quattroporte’s not inconsiderable mass. The stoppers proved determined after even repeated hard applications to halt proceedings efficiently, though we did find the pedal a little abrupt in its initial application in stop-start city traffic.

It’s not the cheapest four-door ‘coupe’ available, but forgive its foibles, or write them off as character, and enjoy the Quattroporte S for its dynamism. It’s a sharp and spirited sedan that can hold its own in the luxury stakes, as well as on the open road.