Thank you to Maserati for allowing the Manchester car leasing team to review the Maserati GHIBLI DIESEL SALOON V6d 4dr Auto (browse deals.) The self-described “opposite of ordinary” is Maserati’s most economical offering and consequently their best seller. The much bigger (and more expensive) Quattroporte is less of a draw for customers – we get very little interest in the vehicle as it is somewhat more specialist and possibly less usable as a day to day vehicle compared to the Ghibli. As marketing and investment grows for the Levante, perhaps this will become their new leading product, in the same way the Range Rover Evoque and Jaguar F-Pace are for their respective products?
The standard Maserati Ghibli has a list price of £41,350.00, so finds itself competing with the higher specification-end of the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and Jaguar XF products.
As a basic model, you do get some comfort feature features but not perhaps as much as you get with the German alternatives. As standard you can expect Velour floormats, a SIRI personal assistant, touch screen navigation, LED daytime lights, leather upholstery, Bi-Xenon headlights, active cruise control, dual zone climate control, the Navtrak vehicle system and 18” alloy wheels.
In true Italian form, you need dig deep to enjoy some of the better features. For the luxury pack, priced at circa £5,500, you can add colour contrast brake callipers, 19” alloy wheels, heated front seats and a cold weather package. For the more adventurous add the similarly priced Sport package for damping control, gearshift paddles, sports pedals, sports seats, 19” alloys (Apollo) and the sport steering wheel in leather.
From a performance perspective, the 3 litre diesel engine will offer a combined MPG of circa 47 with an output of 275ps. This will get you to 62 mph in a shade over 6 seconds, which is fairly reasonable performance.
The difficulty with the Maserati is whether it a younger persons car or is it an older drivers dream? It is actually a difficult product to place in the luxury car market when you compare it to higher-end Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini options.
Would you get a Ghibili on lease if it was within your budget? Or would you enjoy the BMW or Mercedes?