Maserati has simplified Ghibli’s 2022 lineup and has created 3 distinct trims beginning with the 345-hp GT before moving up towards the 4-24-hp Modena and finally the mighty 580-hp Trofeo. The Maserati’s design and performance makes it appealing and its relative lack of obscurity makes it look like Italian exotics like Ferrari or Lamborghini. There are a variety of wood, leather and metal trims adorn the interior of the Ghibli to create an upscale appearance, however some knobs and switches seem to have been lifted straight out of the Stellantis (Maserati’s main firm) components bin.
It’s just too much about enjoyment, since the Ghibli does not stand out against other cars in the comfort and luxury categories, because the rear seats are less comfortable than competitors like that of Audi A6 or the Mercedes-Benz E-class. It’s an absolute pleasure to drive along a back road that is curvy.
Alongside its powerful engines the Ghibli’s chassis is designed to deliver a thrilling driving experience. The higher models are available with the 424-hp version of this engine or 580 horsepower twin-turbo. the Ghibli comes with a 345-hp twin-turbo V-6, which is standard. Maserati’s magic touch was instead applied to the GranTurismo drive experience, already one of the most stirring in the $500k segment.With its stylish design and twin-turbo horsepower, the 2022 Maserati Ghibli adds a lot of Italian style to the mid-sized luxury sedans. Styling-wise, there are refreshed lamp clusters, redesigned bumpers and new alloy wheels, but the sheet metal per se was untouched. Launch control is standard for both transmissions, so either one is happy to leave expensive black lines on the asphalt, although the automatic does it less dramatically than the gung-ho Cambiocorsa.
That said, the autobox has updated software that makes it twice as quick as the previous affair.
Sporty drivers will, of course, care more about the speed of the gearshifts – 100 milliseconds in the case of the Cambiocorsa, half the time taken by the ZF system.
Indeed, broken tarmac edges are absorbed very well while maintaining a solid hold on the road, with the 20-inch Pirelli P Zeros playing their part.Ĭompared to the smooth-shifting traditional auto, the Cambiocorsa is more aggressive in its gearchanges when on the attack and less refined when pottering about in town. Maserati engineers claim it is softer than before, yet firmer when necessary. The GranTurismo’s Skyhook suspension has been uprated by 10 percent, giving it a wider range of damping compared to the earlier fixed-rate system. The factory knows this “problem” and is working on a way to set the electronically controlled dampers independently of the exhaust system. It also stiffens the Skyhook active suspension, resulting in a very firm ride, which is good up on a mountainside switchback but bad news in town. This “broadcasts” the wonderful exhaust sound. The V8 sounds great, of course, especially after you hit the Sport button on the carbon fibre-trimmed dashboard. The dual-cast Brembo steel brakes stood up well to the abuse, hauling the 1880kg vehicle down from speed over and over again without complaint. On the mountain roads around Modena, the car delivered a confident, flowing drive throughout.
Another advantage is stronger traction on step-off plus greater rear grip at the limit. With the gearbox located in a transaxle position between the rear wheels, there is a lighter load (35.6kg to be exact) over the front axle and consequently sharper turn-in, making the “front-midship” GranTurismo feel even more agile.
Credit for this superior behaviour goes to the improved weight distribution – 47:53 versus the full auto model’s 49:51.
The semi-manual car feels better behaved in corners, with a more neutral handling balance to keep the keen driver entertained. These are split-second differences on paper, but on the roads around Modena, the two variants of the GT Sport differ more significantly. Two ticks behind is the 4.8sec auto GT Sport. The GT Sport hits the 100km/h mark from stationary in 4.7 seconds, just a tick behind the MC Stradale. Only a Ferrari cockpit could best this Maserati cabin in design and desirability.