2014 Maserati Quattroporte Review: More variants, more power
The automobile market might feel saturated at the moment. No matter which category of cars you look at, you will find an abundance of options. These options do not really offer much of a differentiating factor. Each segment in the automobile industry has a formula ad carmakers seemed to have latched on to the idea that following the formula yields the best results. While doing that might help you produce excellent sales numbers, your cars do not have the selective appeal. In the luxury car segment, the equation has been the same. Big cars come with spacious and luxurious interiors, a powerful engine, and an inoffensive design language.
This blueprint is a common theme across almost all cars in the luxury sedan segment. For those of us that desire something unconventional and different, these cars are not exactly appealing. What if there was an option so radical and uncompromising?
This is where the 2014 Maserati Quattroporte comes in. While the car itself is entering its 6th generation, this year sees all the upgrades from last year polished into a nicer package.
Options galore
The Maserati Quattroporte, the name itself can send shivers down your spine. It is a car that is indicative of power and luxury, finesse and refinement, and more importantly authenticity. A Maserati on the road is a rare sight. It is a car for the buyer that knows their value and wants to show that they like to go off the beaten path.
It comes with a stunning design, one that is sure to turn heads on the road or in a garage. The engine is purebred Italian and produces the right amount of power and noise. The interiors are simply magnificent, nothing says Italian elegance like bespoke leather.
It is only fitting that such a car comes with a multitude of options. Maserati understands this sentiment and has decided to offer the Quattroporte in a series of trims. There is the standard S, S Q4, and a GTS model.
2014 Maserati Quattroporte S and S Q4
The standard variants of the Quattroporte, these trims come with 19-inch wheels, adjustable suspension, bi-xenon headlights and LED taillights, power steering, power-adjustable pedals, leather upholstery, a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate controls, and a slew of other features. The S Q4 version also allows you to get an all-wheel-drive system on your car.
2014 Maserati Quattroporte GTS
The Quattroporte GTS trim gets you 20-inch tires, a beefier V8 engine, bigger brake calipers, paddle shifters, racing-style front seats, and wooden interiors trims. You also get a few interior and exterior styling details that you normally do not get in other cars.
Customize it to your heart’s content
Perhaps the most redeeming quality of owning a Maserati is the ability to customize it. You can add layers and layers of trims, upgrade virtually everything. This helps you get your hands on a 2014 Maserati Quattroporte that is truly yours.
The interiors come in wood, carbon fiber, and leather trims. You can also get larger wheels, up to 21-inches in diameter and the color of the brake caliper can be customized as per the exterior. For the interiors, you can also get four-zone climate control, ventilated front seats, suede headliners, and wooden trays for the back seat. There is also an option of luxury seating for the rear that gives the car space for only four.
You can also get better entertainment systems with an option for rear-seat systems, and a Bowers and Wilkins sound system. The goal behind the vast array of customization options is to make each Quattroporte as unique as possible and to an extent, each Quattroporte is different.
Performance redefined
To make things simpler, we shall be looking at the engines matted on the S and S Q4 as well as the special V8 trim on the GTS.
The new compact V6
Both the rear-wheel-drive S and the all-wheel-drive S Q4 come with a 3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. The engine is capable of producing 404 brake horsepower and up to 406 lb-ft of torque. You get an eight-speed ZF transmission system on the car and paddle shifters come as optional. Despite using the same engine, the zero to sixty time for the S is marginally slower, 0.2 seconds, than the S Q4, which does it in 4.8 seconds.
Now the sound. No Italian car is truly Italian without sounding good. While the 2014 Maserati Quattroporte features a different engine design, it is still made in collaboration with Ferrari. The engine might miss the deeper growls and grunts of its predecessors, but it is still enough to excite your everyday driver.
A GTS V8
The head of the bunch, the 2014 Maserati Quattroporte comes with a newly designed 3.8-liter V8 engine, which is rear-wheel-drive only. It can deliver a staunch 523 brake horsepower and 524 lb-ft of torque. These numbers make the Quattroporte a formidable car. It can also do a zero to sixty in a smidge over 4.5 seconds and will give you a top speed of 191mph. There are no limiters on this car, unlike your German counterparts. It is a machine that is built to be driven.
You can try to tame this beast, but it will be hard. The engine is loud and growly, a reminder that it is indeed made in Italy. The noise demands urgency and attention from the driver, and frankly, we would be disappointed if it didn’t.
Designed to impress
At first glance, you will not be able to tell the increase in the size of the Maserati Quattroporte. Yet, this and last year’s versions are much longer, wider, and bigger than before. Despite being much bigger, it is not at all discernable. This is what Maserati does so brilliantly, they use the curves and lines to mask the size of the car. Its appearance has changed and in many ways, it is for the better.
The cowering hood is flanked by the signature Maserati grille and the trident is a striking reminder of the car’s Italian heritage. The silky lines sweep to the back, gently riding over the curved hood and tapering towards the wide rear. The 2014 Maserati Quattroporte has a shark-like appearance and little details such as the side vents, the bi-xenon headlamps, and the grille only enhance the look. It is a car that is sure to turn heads.
Space, space everywhere
The cabin is spacious, very spacious. It is much larger than before and can quite comfortably seat five people. The leather feels plushier than before and the wooden accents fit superbly well into the interior design. Metal accents also make their way inside the car but in a very subtle manner and it manages to add to the class of the car.
There are a plethora of features present in the car. An 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system that is paired with a Bowers and Wilkins sound system, dual-zone climate control, adjustable pedals, and even a Wi-Fi hotspot is available. As with any Maserati, you can customize your car and make it as bespoke as possible. It is truly a luxury sedan that wants to compete with the best.
Driving experience
This wouldn’t be a review if we didn’t talk about breathtaking this car is to drive. The 2014 Maserati Quattroporte is a beast wearing the guise of a sophisticated car. The engine is raw and pure, and each time you step on the throttle, it warbles. The car’s exhaust note has not diminished one bit, despite the engine change. The car’s mechanics combine together to deliver a beautiful symphony that is for the driver to enjoy.
The eight-speed transmission system on the car is snappy and the throttle response is brilliant. The car neatly goes up the rev ranges and pushes you forward without effort. As you take it up the rev ranges and hit the 7000 rpm redline, you will feel the immense thrust this car provides. Despite its power, weight, and size you can throw this car around corners. You will love the sheer thrill you get out of this car. The car is lightning fast and the cacophony of the engine is something that will delight drivers and passengers alike.
Verdict
In a segment that has rife competition, the Maserati Quattroporte is a shining beacon of light. It is a car that does not demand attention but commands it. The 2014 Maserati Quattroporte is strikingly beautiful, it is a sleek car with a design language that helps it stand out from even the supercars on the streets. Under the hood lies engines that are reminiscent of its Italian heritage. It sounds nothing like a luxury sedan and it does not want to. The Maserati Quattroporte is an unapologetic car.
Sure, it has its caveats. The switchgear feels cheap, the car could do with slightly better features, the engine might feel slightly underpowered compared to the competition, and it is a pricey car.
The appeal of the Maserati, however, does not lie in any of these factors. It is a car that can be customized to no end and it is the only Italian four-door saloon in the market. The uniqueness of owning a Maserati is what the company is banking on for sales. It is for the customer that wants a car that can adorn garages and evoke a sentiment not attached to vehicles. The 2014 Maserati Quattroporte is a car for the dreamer and with just a glance, you will see it too.
