Gina Baksa is cocooned in leather and silk on her Maserati Ghibli Diesel GranLusso road test.
Blu Passione is the brilliant shade on my Maserati Ghibli Diesel GranLusso luxury sedan. Although a loan car, she is most definitely ‘mine’ for the week. This gleaming V6 turbodiesel with 275 horses is beyond beautiful – she’s a work of art. And I’m feeling the ‘passione’ as I admire the elegant styling on Maserati’s best-selling sports saloon.
Maserati Ghibli Diesel GranLusso Exterior Design
First produced in 2013, the Ghibli’s commanding aesthetics remain contemporary yet timeless. And the new Ghibli styling gives the model even more of an edge against its competitors, including improved aerodynamics and 11 new body colours – the Blu Nobile with sparkling glass flakes is especially eye-catching.
The Ghibli is available in three other iterations globally: the standard twin-turbo 350hp 3.0-litre V6 petrol version, as well as the range-topping Ghibli S and SQ 4 with a bit more oomph (430hp), thanks to their V6 twin-turbos.
Maserati’s Turn designers consciously created new styling to differentiate the GranLusso and GranSport trims: “We wanted to distinguish between luxury and sportiness more clearly, and to give a double soul to the exterior of the car”, says Giovanni Ribotta, Maserati Head of Exterior Design.
On my walk around I appreciate the curvature of the Ghibli’s wide rear flanks, iconic trident badge glinting in the spring sunshine, and the sculptural lift above 20-inch Teseo alloys. Striking GranLusso black brake calipers add further panache and a nod to the marque’s racing lineage. Special GranLusso chrome bars and chrome inserts on the bumper look stylish, placed either side of the iconic Maserati grille – its gnarly shark nose profile as moody and spirited as ever. Other GranLusso tells are the badge at the base of the front wing and the low body colour side skirts. The unique three-blade signature effect, level with the top of the wheel arch adds a snazzy sophistication. This is a wide, elegant beastie of a car at 1.94m.
Maserati’s implementation of full LED in its daytime running lights has altered the front design for the better. And these lights offer 20% better viz apparently, illuminating the road 195m ahead. The new Ghibli design is not only eye-catching, but it’s also aerodynamically more efficient.
Maserati Ghibli Diesel GranLusso Interior Features
But enough of the exterior… let’s get inside this cool cat. Ah, the sound of that soft door close as the heated door mirrors automatically unfold. Sliding past the Maserati logo footplate into the luxurious black premium fine-grain leather with Zegna silk detailing seats (12-way adjustable) is a joy. This is Italian quality craftsmanship at its best: Imagine soft Ermenegildo Zegna silk (mulberry) on the seat inserts – both front and rear – and on the roof lining, sunshades and door panels (double stitching here too) and even the ceiling light fixture.
The feel is refined and sophisticated. Usually I can’t wait to start the engines, but instead, I’m sitting here in hushed reverence, taking time to admire the luxury fitout in this Ghibli GranLusso. I love the iconic Trident logo in the leather headrests with contrast white stitching. You can choose black, tan or red leather, alongside the Anthracite grey silk.
Premium leather is also a feature on the upper and lower dash and armrest, alongside a very comfortable wood-finished leather steering wheel (fully adjustable). Paddles are easily accessible on either side of the steering column.
The sweeping cockpit-inspired dash has all controls within easy reach. In front of me the instrument panel with large analogue gauges for tach and speedo, located either side of the 7-inch TFT display. This is useful for keeping eyes on the road – especially in a car whose top whack is around 250 km/h. The analogue oval clock is a nice retro touch that complements the advanced tech.
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