Maserati Ghibli review - Reliability and safety

Even though the Ghibli was all-new in 2014, it uses a lot of running gear that’s been seen in other models. The (now discontinued) diesel engine has been used in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and other Fiat-Chrysler products for instance, while the platform is shared with the Quattroporte. The eight-speed box is from German company ZF, and has seen service in a raft of rivals, so it should be reliable, too.

That’s all very well in theory, however, but sadly the build quality is no more than okay – the doors don’t exactly shut with a German-style reassurance, while our test car had noisy power steering and squeaky brakes. The infotainment system revealed a few foibles, too, leaving us with an overall impression that the Ghibli lacks the solid quality feel of most of its rivals.

Seven airbags, anti-whiplash headrests and a chassis with hot-formed high-strength steels in crucial crash zones were all designed for unbeatable occupant protection from the outset, says Maserati.

The 2017 facelift added a range of new electronic safety features, such as adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, ‘intelligent’ LED headlights, lane keep assist, steering assist and brake force assist.

Euro NCAP was suitably impressed – even before the new driving assistance systems – awarding the Ghibli a five-star crash test rating in its 2013 test. Adult occupant safety was assessed at an impressive 95% and child passenger protection at 79%.

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Warranty

The Maserati comes with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty – par for the course in this sector, and the same cover as you’d get on a BMW or Mercedes. Audi and Lexus limit cover to 60,000 miles over three years.

Servicing

The biggest stumbling point will be servicing costs. Maserati is a prestige brand, so it expects owners to pay prestige prices. The manufacturer has introduced pre-paid servicing packages to help with the cost of scheduled maintenance. Just remember though, that there are only 14 dealer outlets all told.