A MASERATI FOR THE MASSES? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

A Maserati instead of a BMW 5 Series? That's the dilemma buyers are faced with the brand's Ghibli saloon, now improved. Jonathan Crouch reports.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 62

The third generation Ghibli, launched here in 2014, was Maserati's attempt to move from a low volume boutique manufacturer to one able to shift far bigger numbers. It first mainly sold in diesel form, but these days, black pump-fuelled customers are targeted by a petrol Hybrid variant - and there are powerful charismatic V6 and V8 petrol variants further up the range.

Backgroundword count: 169

The Ghibl has proved to be a pivotal car for Maserati and it accounts for most of the marque's current global sales. It's been a case of putting all the corporate eggs in this one rather handsome basket. One that could hardly be more important. The Italian manufacturer wants to sell 50,000 cars per year going forward and this sleek Latin sports saloon remains crucial to that aim. Is this 'M157'-series model really up to it? Maserati loyalists will probably remember the Ghibli sportscar of the early 1990s. That 'AM336'-series car was fast, fun and more than slightly flawed, but was instrumental in repairing Maserati's reputation after some of the awful product decisions of the 1980s. Those with longer memories might even recall the brutal and beautiful Giugiaro-designed 'AM115'-series original of the 1960s. In short, the Ghibli badge is one with provenance. When going into battle with the likes of the BMW 5 Series and the Jaguar XF, Maserati needs all the help it can lay its hands on.

Driving Experienceword count: 284

The big news first. You can now buy a Maserati Hybrid. Yes, I know that sounds about as likely as a Ferrari pick-up truck but get over the initial shock and you'll realise that if trying to compete in the executive market in Europe, a brand would be utterly scotched without a good hybrid these days - and it'll compensate the folk who used to choose the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel that is no longer available in this car. Whether the electrified Ghibli is a 'good' hybrid is a matter for debate. The electrification offered here is of the 'mild' 48-volt form, so it can't ever run without the aid of its 2.0-litre 330hp four cylinder engine. But said powerplant is decently rapid,particularly if you slot the drivetrain into its 'Sport' mode. The engine drives through the rear wheels only via an 8-speed ZF auto gearbox. You may well feel though, that a four cylinder powerplant, electrified or not, is insufficient to create the kind of charismatic appeal that a Maserato should have. If so, you'll start your search in the rear-driven petrol-only Ghibli portfolio with the V6 Ghibli Modena. Like the Hybrid, this 350hp derivative takes just under 6s to reach 62mph, on the way to a top speed in the region of 160mph - but it sounds far more appealing while it's doing it. The V6 is also available in an uprated 430hp state of tune in the Ghibli Modena S. Or, if you want this Maserati to have a properly charismatic growl, you'll need to stretch to the V8-powered Ghibli Trofeo at the very top of the range, which has 580hp, almost enough to give a BMW M5 a good seeing to.

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