2015 Maserati Quattroporte

2015 Maserati Quattroporte Review: Authentic Italian Experience

Ever since updating the Quattroporte in 2014, Maserati has taken the market by storm. The Quattroporte brought about a much-needed freshness in the luxury sedan segment. From eye-catching looks to a ferocious engine, the Quattroporte entered the market to persuade luxury sedan buyers to yearn for something different, and to an extent, it succeeded. The 2015 Maserati Quattroporte is an update, but how much has changed in a year?

Upon first glance, you may not notice the changes. However, once you take a closer look and it becomes apparent. The 2015 model is not just a numeric refresh, but rather represents a culmination of understanding that Maserati has developed over the past year. The car now comes with two engine options and the interiors feel more bespoke than ever. It is simply a refinement of a challenger. It is a car designed to turn heads and impress your neighbors. Competing against the top-class luxury sedans in the world, can the 2015 Maserati Quattroporte hold its own against the giants? We will find out.

Engine and performance

The 2015 Quattroporte comes in two engine choices. Both the engines are retrofitted with twin-turbochargers to soup up the performance. The standard engine choice is a 3-liter V6 that churns out a neat 410 brake horsepower and goes from zero to sixty in less than five seconds. The car has an electronically limited top speed of 171 miles per hour.

The 3.8-liter V8 is where the real party is at. This twin-turbo model dishes out a very cool 530 brake horsepower, giving you zero to sixty in under 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 191 miles per hour. The car comes equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission and while the SQ4 model has an all-wheel-drive system, the V8 engine-equipped GTS comes with a rear-wheel-drive.

Discussing these numbers is merely but a dalliance. When we think of Italian cars we do not immediately think of jaw-dropping horsepower numbers, rocket-like top speeds, or sub 2 second zero to sixty times, we think of the noise it makes and the excitement it brings. In a way, an Italian car promises to bring the zest of life to us. The 2015 Maserati Quattroporte fulfills that promise. The exhaust and the engine combine to deliver us a performance that is nothing short of a masterpiece. From the very moment you step on the gas, you will feel the engine bellow and grunt, ready to pounce. Once you unleash it on the road, the beast under the hood truly comes alive.

While the 2015 Maserati Quattroporte is not going to deliver the most luxurious experience or be the fastest on the road, what it does is bring you excitement. It makes your inner child feel alive and for true car enthusiasts, it is simply a satisfying machine.

2015 Maserati Quattroporte

Design and Styling

The Italian experience is a package, a treat for your eyes and your ears. The idea is to tingle all of your senses. The 2015 Maserati Quattroporte is a stunner. Every time you look at the car, you will be reminded that you are indeed looking at an Italian exotic. There are crisp lines and angular accents everywhere you look. The large oval grille at the front, flanked by a giant trident is a not-so-subtle reminder that the car you are looking at is distinctly a Maserati. The design of the car is clean, it is clear that Maserati intended the car to be seen as a clean and crisp sedan.

The car is distinctly low and wide, you can immediately feel its weight and presence when you lay your eyes on it. The blacked-out grille does a fantastic job of conveying the message that under the hood lies a dormant beast. It is as beautiful as it is intimidating, after all, that is Maserati’s intention. The 2015 Maserati Quattroporte is for those who want people’s gaze to be fixated on their car as they drive by.

Interior and Features

A part of the Italian car experience is the idea of luxury. Yes, despite Maserati being late to the luxury car segment, there is no doubt that people still associate Italian cars with luxury. Maserati does a good job of replicating that association. As soon as you step inside the cabin you are greeted with a leathery smell emanating from the seats and the upholstery. Every single piece of leather on the car is hand-stitched, an ode to the craftsmanship from the Italians. The car has metal and wood trim on the doors and center console, giving it a luxurious feel.

The front seat feels more like a sports car than a luxury car. The bucket-style seats are quite wide, allowing for plenty of movement and the driving position is low, giving you a proper sports car experience. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is quite chunky and feels very sporty, which is very uncanny for a luxury car, but then again this is a Maserati.

The rear seats are quite comfortable and you get armrests, an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, wood interior trims, four-zone climate controls, suede headliners, and wooden tray tables. You also get a Bowers and Wilkins speaker system matted with a rear-seat entertainment system. The creature comforts are stacked in the Maserati, however, we reckon you will rarely be using these. Instead, you will enjoy the sounds made on the outside of the car more than on the inside.

Safety

The crash test data from the Maserati Quattroporte remains unclear. It has neither been tested by the NHTSA or the IIHS, however, we reckon it will do fairly well in the event of a car crash. The build of the car is great, the body is a monocoque built entirely from steel and reinforced with aluminum and will give you ample protection. Its sibling the Ghibli passed the IIHS tests with flying colors and we expect the Quattroporte to do the same.

2015 Maserati Quattroporte

There is a myriad of safety features that come as standard. Anti-lock disc brakes, front and side airbags, traction control, parking sensors, and a rear-view camera are very helpful. However, it does lack distinct features such as lane assist, or collision warning and detection, which come as standard in the German and American competitors. The lack of adaptive cruise control and other driving assistance features on the 2015 Maserati Quattroporte is a reminder that you are driving an Italian car and not a German one.

On-road review

In true Maserati fashion, this car will leave you speechless when you drive. The qualms about the power delivery of the engine, the size, and the heft, all go out the window the moment you put your foot down. It thrusts effortlessly and you can clearly feel the turbocharger doing its work. The car goes through the paces rather nicely, there are no sudden jerks and you can feel it climbing the rev ranges as smoothly as you like.

The sport button switches things up, it is as if the shackles from the engine have been taken off, and almost immediately the tone of the engine changes. The grunt from the engine is deeper and the throttle response improves instantly. There is a noticeably faster shift and added aggression. You can now feel the true speed of the car.

The handling and ride of the car are the perfect reminders of why Maserati makes the best grand tourers in the world. The balance is almost perfect, you can throw this car around twisty turns without any effort and it will come of it gracefully. The car’s weight and size are not even remotely noticeable when you are driving it. The steering is hydraulic instead of electronic, again a salient reminder that you are driving an Italian car and not a robotic German machine. The car was simply built to drive and if you want to push it to the limits, you can do so almost instantaneously.

Cons

No car is not without its flaws and the 2015 Maserati Quattroporte has a few. It competes in a segment where the current mainstays have perfected the idea of a luxury sedan. As a result, the Maserati enters the field with a disadvantage. It is not the roomiest car or the most comfortable one. The seats might feel a little too snug at times. There is a distinct lack of technological features in the car, ones that its more established counterparts have.

2015 Maserati Quattroporte

The switchgear has also been borrowed from the parent company Fiat Chrysler giving the car a cheap plasticky feeling amidst all the plush leather and wood. The contrast is startling and is not something you expect to find in a luxury car. You are also going to be spending more than usual when you buy a Maserati and the cost of ownership is not somewhere you can be pinching pennies.

The car is not for those that are looking for only a smooth and luxurious ride. The firmness and the stiffness are almost entirely catered for those that want to drive this car.

Final Verdict

The 2015 Maserati Quattroporte is for the purists. It is a car built for those that want the element of luxury, without a single shred of compromise on performance. More importantly, it is for those that want a car that will turn heads. Almost every single time you drive it or park the Maserati, it will attract onlookers. If you had a poster of an Italian exotic on your bedroom wall as a child, this car is a gateway to fulfilling the dreams of that inner child.

Similar Posts