Maserati Quattroporte review - Engines, performance and drive

With 50:50 weight distribution, a long wheelbase and a rear-wheel-drive chassis, the Maserati Quattroporte promises much. However, on a twisty road it just isn’t as good as its rivals.

The steering gives you little sense of what the front wheels are doing, and with artificial and inconsistent weighting as you go from lock-to-lock, you find yourself making small corrections and counter adjustments. You can’t be precise at turn-in and you don’t have confidence through a corner.

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The limit of grip arrives suddenly, which combined with the lifeless steering, means the Maserati doesn’t feel as composed as its rivals. On poor surfaces, the chassis wriggles, feeling unsettled over roads that its competitors soak up with ease.

Even with the Skyhook dampers in Normal mode, the ride is unresolved. Initial damping is okay, but the 19-inch wheels thump into imperfections. Sport mode stiffens the suspension without improving control. It sharpens the throttle response, speeds up gearshifts and opens the exhaust valves, but Maserati’s Active Sound system generates a mechanical grinding rather than an attractive exhaust note.

Engines

The V8-powered Quattroporte offers the kind of acceleration you’d normally associate with supercars rather than large limousines.

Acceleration from 0-62mph takes just 4.7 seconds and there's huge amounts of torque from under 2,000rpm all the way up to 7,500rpm, meaning in-gear punch is always impressive. The claimed top speed is 190mph, and a deep growl from the exhausts means people will definitely hear you coming long before they see you.

The turbocharged V6 model doesn't sound quite as good as the V8 but still feels very fast – the official 0-62mph time is 5.1 seconds while top speed is 177mph.

The diesel-engined Quattroporte is a bit too clattery at idle, but becomes more refined once you get up to speed. It has a top speed of 155mph and will do 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds, so it’s still pretty quick for such a big car.