That rather distinctive Maserati badge and logo. All photos courtesy Maserati
That rather distinctive Maserati badge and logo. All photos courtesy Maserati
The Ghibli shows its kerbside appeal.
The Ghibli shows its kerbside appeal.
You can hit 100 kilometres per hour from a standing start in 4.7 seconds in this ride.
You can hit 100 kilometres per hour from a standing start in 4.7 seconds in this ride.
Getting some speed up on the road.
Getting some speed up on the road.
Compact at the back.
Compact at the back.
Stylish design inside the cabin.
Stylish design inside the cabin.
The car's 20-inch Teseo wheel trims.
The car's 20-inch Teseo wheel trims.
The rear of the Ghibli, with the all-important SQ4 badge
The rear of the Ghibli, with the all-important SQ4 badge
The seats are adorned with a specific stitching pattern.
The seats are adorned with a specific stitching pattern.
The car retails from Dh399,000.
The car retails from Dh399,000.
The Ghibli has the feel of a grand tourer.
The Ghibli has the feel of a grand tourer.
It's powered by a three-litre V6 engine.
It's powered by a three-litre V6 engine.
Rear-light detail.
Rear-light detail.
The distinctive front grille.
The distinctive front grille.
You'll be happy to park a Ghibli anywhere.
You'll be happy to park a Ghibli anywhere.
It has style, the Ghibli.
It has style, the Ghibli.

Motoring

Road test: Maserati Ghibli merges grand-tourer style with executive saloon practicality

The new offering from the Italian manufacturer has one goal in mind, and that's to make you feel good whenever you get in it

Simon Wilgress-Pipe
Simon Wilgress-Pipe

December 15, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

THE SPECS

Engine: 3-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 424hp

Torque: 580 Nm

Price: From Dh399,000

On sale: Now

Being able to get really animated about something on a daily basis is a goal many of us would find appealing. It’s not always easy to achieve, though. Normal life tends to get in the way.

However, if fancy cars are your bag, Maserati reckons it may have the answer, as that is what it says its latest Ghibli will provide – everyday excitement.

The Italian manufacturer may have a point. This is a car with rather more style than you’d expect from a vehicle under the banner of an executive saloon and there is a distinct degree of jollity to be experienced when you get behind the wheel.

It's a Maserati, so you know it's going to be nice to look at. The outer stylings manage to combine a sense of elegance and sportiness. The front bumper and a sizeable grille are prominent, giving what Maserati calls a "shark nose" profile.

Inside, it is comfortable, neat and uncluttered. You can find your way around the various controls without needing a manual the size of an encyclopaedia, which is always refreshing.

This Ghibli is a direct competitor to many of those German saloons (the BMW 5-Series, for example) that, while being solid performers in themselves and without serious fault, don’t seem to have the X factor in quite the way some other vehicles do. It’s all very subjective, of course, but the new Ghibli seems to retain a link to the past, when taking a grand tour in a grand tourer was romantic. Before the roads got quite so full, of course, and, more recently, when people didn’t have to think twice about moving around.

There’s a sense of calm when driving the Ghibli (large cars, notably SUVs, can often give you this sensation effortlessly, but it’s a harder thing to achieve in a smaller vehicle). It’s a nice, zippy ride, too, with a 0-100 kilometres per hour time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 286kph.

You wouldn’t describe a Maserati as a supercar, exactly, but that’s because it isn’t absurd where so many of its rather more flamboyant (and eye-wateringly expensive) brethren are.

No, this is just an incredibly smart ride that most of us would be happy to be seen in at whatever our preferred venue may be.

You won’t be going off-roading or rallying in it any time soon, but, even if it was suited to that sort of thing, you wouldn’t want to do that as it’d be a crime to get that neat and tidy exterior all messed up. In fact, it’s surprising that pressure groups don’t exist to make maltreating flashy cars illegal.

So the Ghibli is a car to be reckoned with. It’s not the cheapest in its class, but we’re talking Maserati here, an undoubtedly iconic brand. Would it live up to its hype and provide everyday excitement? Hard to say for sure, but we’d say on first impressions it’s a distinct possibility.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

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Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

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Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

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Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

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Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

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BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

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Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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THE SPECS

Engine: 3-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 424hp

Torque: 580 Nm

Price: From Dh399,000

On sale: Now

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