The Maserati Quattroporte has its moments but is ultimately showing its age.
Experience and perception are critical facets of any luxury car. From the moment you walk up to the car and get in, to the one you arrive at your destination, get out and turn around for one last look, every sensory encounter should reaffirm every dollar you spent. That includes the way passengers and passersby view your car.
Some manufacturers get this right, like Bentley and Rolls-Royce absolutely nail every last detail to make sure there is no interruption in luxury for the owner, from the walk up, to the walk away. The 2020 Maserati Quattroporte, does not land in that group and while it is a categorically ”good car,” it had every chance to be a great car. However, the scheduled revamp of the full Maserati lineup starting in 2020 is its chance for redemption.
The 2020 Quattroporte S Q4 I had a for a week, provided by Maserati, is just one example they’ve seemingly phoned it in for the past few years. When you buy a true luxury car, every detail matters. Every touch, smell, sound, and sensation should, at the very least, induce a smirk of confidence from the owner.
Small things that let the Maserati down are the use of cheap plastics borrowed from the FCA parts bin, which it shares with Dodge (and this is true across the lineup). Much like watching a movie in the theater versus watching it at home with commercials, you pay to immerse yourself in another world without interruption, from beginning to end. Coming across the turn signal stalks and switchgear from a Dodge Durango and harsh plastic on the B-Pillar and center console are like commercial interruptions when you’ve paid to be in the theater. The more glaring problem for the 2020 Quattroporte is it hasn’t seen a serious update since it was completely redesigned in 2013, and it shows. Even with the updated touch screen and Zegna silk trim, it still feels wildly outdated in the current luxury market.
Design-wise, the current-generation Quattroporte is polarizing. While the Maserati design language awkwardly sits on the smaller Ghibli sedan, I think the big brother has proportions better suited to the styling. Even with a dark blue paint job, the Quattroporte still stands out in a crowded parking lot.
On the road and behind the wheel, the big sedan does feel every bit the sports car. It’s balanced and poised in everyday driving and the Ferrari-design-and-developed 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 can always be counted on for an addictive soundtrack. However, one piece of audio I could’ve done without was a not-so-subtle grinding sound from the front differential made some in slow-speed turns with the cold weather. Once the diff warmed up, the sound stopped. In a classic Italian car, a lot of people would call that charm. To me, it was just another commercial interruption.
The iconic trident badge still impresses and the Ferrari-derived engine, soft Italian leather seats, and Zegna silk trim are certainly sources of redemption for the Quattroporte, but I still get the sense Maserati phoned it in. With an exclusive relationship with Ferrari, the entire Maserati lineup needs to adopt Maranello’s level of detail and live several tiers higher than it does. Here’s hoping Maserati’s planned 2020 model lineup revamp is the beginning of that shift. The Alfieri marks the threshold of a new era for the brand with the all-new model featuring EV performance as well as a classic V8. The next-generation Quattroporte is coming but further down the line. Regardless, this is Maserati’s chance to build a true luxury sedan and create a commercial-free experience.
