2013 Maserati Quattroporte revealed

Longer, lighter more luxurious and set to go on sale next year

By Shahzad Sheikh

2013 Maserati Quattroporte

UPDATE 21 February 2013:

UAE price revealed – AED525,000 ($143,000)

UPDATE 9th December 2012:

  • All-new, Maserati-designed 3.8-litre, twin turbo V8 and 3.0-litre, twin turbo V6 engines
  • Direct-injection V8 delivers 522bhp of power and up to 524lb ft of torque, 0-100kph acceleration in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 307kph.
  • V6 twin turbo delivers 404bhp and its 406lb ft is greater than the torque peak in the outgoing Quattroporte Sport GT S. 0-100kph is in 4.9 seconds and top speed is 285kph.
  • V8 kerb weight has been reduced by almost 100 kg
  • Both V8 and V6 models use  an eight-speed automatic transmission and with rear-wheel drive agility or all-wheel drive
  • Longer wheelbase creates increased leg and shoulder room
  • Five or four-seat layouts available, including work space and entertainment options
  • New cabin features include WiFi WLAN hotspot, up to 15 speakers of Bowers and Wilkins premium surround system, 8.4” Maserati Touch Control screen

 

The current Maserati Quattroporte has been around since 2004, and frankly is still one of the most beautiful executive saloons you can buy.

But next year it will be replaced by this – the all-new 2013 Quattroporte which is set to be seen for the first time in Detroit in January 2013 – expect global sales to begin just before summer next year.

It’s unmistakably Italian in style, and clearly retains the overall look of the Quattroporte including those three lovely vents on the sides of the front fenders and the big gaping cheese grater grille. However there’s sharper edges this time, more brazen lines, giving it a more aggressive, perhaps more business like stance, compared to the laid-back cool of the current car.

Which makes sense since this is going upscale to compete with the likes of the Jaguar XJ/BMW 7 series and will be key to the company’s growth strategies. Plus going bigger, provides the opportunity for a smaller saloon to slot in against the Jag XF/5 series, rumoured to be called Ghibli.

Harald Wester, CEO of Maserati says: ‘Maserati stands today at the edge of an unparalleled strategic and industrial growth that will see our presence in the world rise to 50,000 units a year by 2015. This exciting progression will make the new Maserati a true global player with two new production sites in two different continents and a heart solidly planted in Modena, Italy, where our roots are.

‘It is a growth that will be based on three new models entering two new segments of the automobile market – and it starts with the all-new 2013 Maserati Quattroporte.’

So what’s going to be under the bonnet, will the good news is there will still be V8s that will be jointly produced with Ferrari, with V6s also being offered, though no further details are known at this time.

However it is a lighter car with upto 150kgs being removed, despite the larger cabin and overall length, and as there’s talk of developing ‘a car capable of fitting different powertrain architectures and transmission configurations for the most diverse driving conditions but always maintaining Maserati’s trademark best-in-class driving comfort,’ by development director, Roberto Corradi, it’s likely to have a choice of rear and four-wheel drive.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.