DRIVEN: Did Maserati BLOW It With The All-New Quattroporte? Is The Formula Too DILUTED?

When it comes to six-figure luxury sedans, it's tough to beat out the likes of the Audi A8, BMW 7-Series, Lexus LS and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. But if you're shopping for something with a bit more character it's easy to understand why a Jaguar XJ or Porsche Panamera would appeal to you.

They're different in a world of black suits and black town cars. You want to stand out.

And that's exactly why buyers would look at a car like the Maserati Quattroporte. It oozed sex appeal and it sounded like a Ferrari. What's there not to like? Well, the electronics and old-school green back-lit interior. Oh, then there's the depreciation. If you've thrown a heavy rock into a pond, you know what I am talking about here.

Now there's an all-new Quattroporte and in its sixth generation one would think that Maserati would know what it's doing now. But it appears the mothership has gone astray in search of a larger volume of sales. Folks have been critiquing the exterior AND interior design as a bit too plain.

Thing is the first reviews are starting to publish and already it's becoming a bit too big of a talking point. So, I have to ask: Did Maserati BLOW it with the all-new Q-car? THINK, the car's primary differentiator was just deflated!

What say you, Spies?

Asked to describe the brand Maserati, most people would use words like Italian, expensive and exotic.

They’d be right, mostly. The best-selling Maserati in the U.S. is the four-door Quattroporte, an Italian-made sedan that is reasonably fast and, in the case of the car I tested, plenty pricey at $159,600. The overall character, however, was more stately than sexy, buttoned-down rather than exotic...

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Leigh - 10/20/2013 3:10:19 AM

+2 Boost

No matter what 'depreciation' is the biggest let down. They make too many of these cars, if they didn't make so many the rarity would help hold the cars value.

cidflekken - 10/20/2013 5:01:37 AM

0 Boost

I think the Quattroporte still offers a distinctive alternative to the S-Class/S8/7Series/XJ/Panamera crowd. It may not have the outright sex appeal of a Rapide, but it's still a nicely design car. The one area I think Maserati completely dropped the ball is in the tailight design. Looking directly at the rear, you can literally stick almost any Japanese branding or even Audi name, and no one would think twice.

Agent00R - 10/20/2013 8:28:50 AM

+1 Boost

I would agree. It's still a highly differentiated product with its motors.

ATrain - 10/20/2013 8:38:05 AM

+1 Boost

I am actually considering replacing my 535xi with a Ghibli S Q4 presently so let me give you a potential buyer's perspective...

First, on the positive side is the looks of the car. From that perspective, the Quattroporte simply didn't cut it, even if it's much prettier in real life. It's too large and lacks the aggressive stance associated w/ the Maserati name.

I also have to admit that the name Maser plays with my heart string. I've been looking at them for a few years now. There's something sexy about that altogether. However, again, the new Quattroporte does't feel like a true Maserati. It's too 'sedate', which I guess is what OOR is saying.

Finally, performance. By that, I mean sporty a la Panamera or M5 or S63. Can't talk to the Ghibli yet but based on what I read, it seems to be far sportier, far more aggressive than the Quattroporte, which is too heavy despite it's Ferrari heart.

On the negative front, reliability is my #1 concern. I would use this car as I use the 5-series; my winter car. I live in the Boston area and my daily commute can be up to 200 miles of highway. It cannot let me down.

Here, the Quattroporte seems to be 'traditional Maser.' Meanwhile, it sounds like the Ghibli, which I realize uses a lot of QP components, has been tested in a fashion similar to what Porsche does. That would mean continuous improvement. That's very encouraging.

Resale has never been one of my concerns. It may be a factor but it's too far down the list to worry about it.

MattDarringer - 10/20/2013 1:09:14 PM

+1 Boost

$160K is about $60K too expensive if Maserati is to reach their hoped for sales goals. Similarly, the Ghibli is sized like a BMW 5 but priced more like a 7. Maserati just does NOT have the reputation to pull off its price. My father in law has the previous Qporte and was invited to preview this current one. After driving it, he told the folks and greet and drive that it was very nice for a Chrysler New Yorker.