DRIVEN + VIDEO: Maserati's All-New Quattroporte - Can It Derail The Jaguar XJ?

Oh-kay, before we start this piece, I think it needs a bit of context.

In the large luxury sedan kingdom, there are the heavyweights and the choices for more out of the box thinkers. If you have no imagination, you likely go for a tried and true luxury staple. You pick an icon like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Audi A8 or Lexus LS.

Don't get me wrong, they're all fabulous products but they're so...predictable.

If you're left wanting for something a bit different, then buyers gravitate towards something like the Maserati Quattroporte, Jaguar XJ or Porsche Panamera.

While the last-gen Quattroporte sounded like a Ferrari and looked pretty snappy, it certainly wasn't the best luxury sedan for sale on the luxury market. Now that there's an all-new product ready to hit showrooms, Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe got behind the wheel and did the first thing any right-minded automotive journalist should: Question if it's better than what's already out there. In this case, he compares it directly to the existing Jaguar XJ.


The new Maserati Quattroporte is big news for the Italian marque. The car is kick-starting the firm's ambitions to increase sales ten-fold, so the stakes have never been higher. Steve Sutcliffe pitches it against our favourite luxury car, the Jaguar XJ to see which is best.



2013 Maserati Quattroporte Photo Gallery









































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pmrmd - 1/6/2013 10:44:55 PM

+1 Boost

The current model is absolutely beautiful. The replacement looks better inside but falls short of the original on the outside.

cidflekken - 1/7/2013 11:35:17 AM

+1 Boost

What class of cars is this guy claiming the XJ is currently ruling over???

The difficult part for Maserati is that their designs (as with the previous models) are so non-descript and quite generic. At this price level and when people hear, "Maserati", they think exotic and "notice me". But, to me, they just have no road presence. A Panamera looks like a charged-up bull ready to take you out. The XJ just makes all other cars look like they need plastic surgery. The S-Class/7-Series/A8 all look confident and poised. Honestly, whenever a Maserati (2 or 4 door) passes, the reaction always seems to be, "Oh, that was a Maserati. almost missed it".

Agent00R - 1/7/2013 11:35:13 PM

+1 Boost

Good point(s).

I have to say the new XJ is a pretty amazing product. If I were looking for something to stand out a bit and I was over the whole S-Class, 7, A8, LS thing, I'd most likely get the XJ.