Maserati Quattroporte review - Interior, design and technology

A Maserati has to be stylish, but the Quattroporte’s looks divide opinion. While the last generation was penned by styling maestro Pininfarina, this model was designed in-house – and although there are some nice details, it’s arguably not as distinctive or as beautiful as a Maserati should be.

The low snout and trident-badged grille are matched to slender GranTurismo-inspired headlights and LED running lights to give the car a dramatic face. The trio of fake air vents on the front wings are a typical Maserati touch. Yet the lines at the rear could be from a Hyundai saloon, plus the Maserati looks bloated in profile, compared to its shorter and lower rivals. LED rear light clusters lift the feel at the rear a little, while the frameless door glass is an unusual touch in the luxury saloon segment too.

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Inside, first impressions are good. The Quattroporte has a decent layout and the chrome-ringed dials and smart multifunction wheel give it an upmarket feel. There’s a real wow factor to sitting in a car with the famous trident badge and the classic egg-shaped clock sitting in the middle of the tapering dashboard is a classy touch. However, look closely and you’ll find hard plastics and cheap switchgear, which dilutes the luxury feel a little.

On the plus side, standard kit includes eight-way adjustable electric seats, ambient cabin lighting and adaptive cruise control. There are also plenty of ways to personalise your Quattroporte, with five different wood species for the dashboard and door inserts, and a variety of leather choices.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The Quattroporte has an impressive 8.4-inch touchscreen display at the centre of the console, and there are upgraded audio options from both Bowers and Wilkins and Harmon Kardon. The latter has 10 speakers and is pretty impressive, but the Bowers and Wilkins set-up features 15 speakers and a 16-channel 1,280-Watt amplifier.