Maserati GranTurismo review
The gorgeous Maserati GranTurismo is a thrilling and emotional Italian GT car to rival the Porsche 911
There aren’t many cars that are as emotional as the Maserati GranTurismo. The gorgeous looks and spine-tingling Ferrari V8 engines are enough to forgive anything that the Maserati could possibly do wrong. Not that it does that much wrong anyway – the interior is a little confusing and the fuel economy is woeful, but in every other way the GranTurismo is fantastic. Despite its hefty kerbweight, it feels just as agile as a sports car and is blisteringly quick in a straight line.
Our choice: GranTurismo Sport
Styling
The GranTurismo is widely considered to be one of the best-looking cars on the road. Designed by Pininfarina, the GranTurismo blends together elegant lines and menacing supercar touches perfectly. It does a great job of hiding its size, too, making it look far more compact and lightweight than it actually is – after all this is a car that weighs almost two tonnes. The interior is incredibly luxurious, with fine leathers and woods covering almost all of the surfaces. It’s beginning to look slightly dated, though, with a mess of buttons on the dashboard.
Driving
There are two engines in the GranTurismo range: a 4.2-litre V8 in the standard GranTurismo or a 4.7-litre V8 in the S, Sport and MC Stradale models. We’d recommend any of the latter three because of the crackling roar from the exhausts and the incredible performance. With 453bhp, it can launch the GranTurismo from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and it feels incredibly flexible at low speeds, too. Quick steering and a finely tuned suspension set up mean the GranTurismo is extremely capable in the bends. It’s surprisingly comfortable in everyday use, too.
Reliability
Maserati has not had the best luck with reliability but ever since Ferrari took over, things have improved greatly. Both engines have been on sale in the GranTurismo and GranCabrio for years now and have proved to be very reliable. It hasn’t been crash tested by Euro NCAP but six airbags come as standard and a host of electronic systems are fitted to help keep you safe.
Practicality
The GranTurismo can legitimately claim to be a four-seater rather than just a 2+2, as the rear seats are spacious enough to fit tall adults. The boot is a little bit tight, though, offering just 260 litres. That means if you're carrying four people, it’s probably best if they don’t each bring a bag.
Running Costs
A naturally-aspirated V8 engine and a hefty kerbweight is a recipe for crippling running costs. The 4.7-litre V8 models all manage about 17mpg and CO2 emissions are about as high as you’ll find, at 387g/km. The 4.2-litre model is slightly better, with a figure of 19.7mpg. Both are in the top road tax band and will be extremely expensive to insure.
For an alternative review of the latest Maserati GranTurismo Coupe visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk
