Maserati refreshes Quattroporte

By Ben Whitworth

First Official Pictures

24 June 2008 08:51

Maserati has given its Quattroporte a mid-life refresh and a power boost. The new flagship Quattroporte S borrows the 424bhp 4.7-litre V8 from the GranTurismo S, while the standard Quattroporte retains the existing 393bhp 4.2-litre engine from before, with both hooked up to the ZF six-speed automatic transmission introduced two years ago.

No, fortunately Maserati has decided not to tamper with the Quattroporte’s styling – five years and 15,000 sales from launch and the Pininfarina-penned saloon still looks superb. Exterior changes are nominal and include a new vertically slatted grille with reworked lights complete with de rigeur LED light emitting diodes. The sills have been revised to flow more cleanly into the new bumpers and there are new wing mirrors. And that’s your lot.

Err… no. Apart from a new centre console that groups the Meserati’s controls closer together and a more advanced satnav and audio system, the cabin remains the same. Oh wait. We forgot – there are two new shades of leather to choose from. There’s no word on pricing, but expect a slight increase – which means very little change from £80,000 when the revised range arrives here in October.

A case of not gilding the lily, or just some very astute development budgeting? Tell us what you think…

By Ben Whitworth