Filed under: Sedan, Performance, First Drives, Luxury
The First Maserati To Run Full-Time On All Fours
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About six months ago we tested the all-new 2014 Maserati Quattroporte GTS and its 523-horsepower 3.8-liter bi-turbo V8 engine, the latter being built in Maranello, Italy, by Ferrari. There were comments on both sides, mostly positive though, and we came away impressed by the sixth-generation Maserati sedan. This despite the fact that both we and you couldn’t seem to get past the questionable aesthetics of the 20-inch Crono alloy wheels slapped on all of the test cars. Awkward looking they are, or is “distinctive” the word we’re seeking?
For both the crucial United States market and the rest of the world, the most important version of the latest Quattroporte is bound to be the less powerful (and less expensive) bi-turbo V6 model we have just driven here in northern Italy; both rear-wheel-drive and Q4 all-wheel-drive versions. We spent nearly all day in the 404-hp 2014 Maserati Quattroporte S Q4, and found a lot that we prefer in the six-cylinder powertrain versus the champing aggression and $140,000 price tag of the GTS bi-turbo V8 model. These long and lanky executive-style statements traditionally thrive on the V8 mantra, so it will be interesting to watch how Maserati’s need to use stronger and more efficient V6 engines is received by its six-figure customers.
It’s a cynical thing to discuss so matter of factly, but descending into five-figure pricing for these rides actually damages their sales potential. It’s bizarre, but keeping every trim of the Maserati Quattroporte north of $100,000 was crucial. So, is the 2014 Maserati Quattrporte S Q4 at a projected $108,000 base price worth it? To this stratum of clientele, apparently it is. Even the rear-wheel-drive S with this bi-turbo V6 will come in around $102,000 when it arrives in North America in mid-2014. (Or mid-2015, as yet to be decided.)Continue reading 2014 Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 [w/video]
2014 Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 May 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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