2024 Maserati GranTurismo Review | CarExpert

The Maserati GranTurismo returned after five years in the wild.

The last GranTurismo died in 2019 after 12 years and more than 40,000 sales worldwide, sending one of the world’s most glamorous engines to the grave in the process.

Forget the dated cabin or the slightly wobbly steering, the sound of the naturally aspirated V8 makes up for it all.

The new car takes a very different approach. For starters, there’s an electric Folgore coming to Australia in late 2024… and even the petrol Modena and Trofeo have swapped their excellent V8s for a Nettuno turbo V6 version that debuted in 2020. MC20 supercar.

Yet for all the changes, the basic formula that underpins the GranTurismo remains untouched.

Long and low with curves in all the right places, you’ve still got space for four people inside and a usable tailgate suitable for all their kit. It was a grand tour after all.

Instead of a cross-country trip, our first experience of the GranTurismo was at The Bend racetrack in South Australia.

How Maserati GranTurismo compare?

See detailed analysis of Maserati GranTurismo compared to similarly sized vehicles.

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GranTurismo

How much does Maserati GranTurismo cost?

The price of the new GranTurismo has increased compared to the old model, even though it has been five years since the model went on sale.

Base prices have increased by $80,000 for the Modena and $105,000 for the Trofeo.

To see how the Maserati GranTurismo stacks up against the competition, take a look comparison tool.

What is the interior of the Maserati GranTurismo like?

This is better.

The last GranTurismo came in an era of tiny buttons and blocky touchscreen graphics; the new one has a modern tech suite, neatly integrated into a handsome, well-finished cabin. Welcome to 2024.

This car isn’t designed to be a track star, it’s designed to carry four passengers long distances in comfort and style. That means no hard cushions to climb over, and plenty of room up front for tall drivers.

While we didn’t have much time to poke around and test everything, the overall quality is excellent. The seats are soft leather, the sculpted paddles behind the steering wheel are made of real metal, and some real thought has gone into the stitched door panels and speaker covers.

With that said, the wheel-mounted starter and drive mode dial don’t have the same granite-hewn solidity as the switches in the Porsche 911 carand anyone who has driven Alfa Romeo Color will recognize the small plastic vent flow controller.

The fact that we’re complaining about the small controls shows how far this car has come. Based on our initial preferences, the idea of ​​spending some serious time behind the wheel is quite appealing.

Maserati’s new infotainment technology is built on a version of Android Automotive that also underpins the technology in the latest Jeep and RAM products, albeit with some unique graphics, layouts, colors, and fonts.

It was easy to use and worked well on our drive to The Bend in Grecalewith Apple CarPlay integration clearly connected reliably. The climate control touchscreen below is a bit tricky to use at first but gets better over time and can be navigated with minimal practice.

It would be nice, though, if the GranTurismo were a little more distinctive than the Grecale, perhaps with bespoke dials or expensive climate controls to give it that classic Italian feel. Perhaps we’re asking too much.

Back seat. Well, they’re significantly better than what’s offered on a Porsche 911 and Maserati claims they’ve put a Continental Bentley in the shade to provide space for residents. The front seats tilt and slide with electric assistance and are actually quite easy to climb into.

Children and short adults will really be able to feel comfortable in leather seats. The bench itself has a unique clamshell shape and headroom is solid under the longer rear windshield. USB ports, air vents and cup holders round out the amenities.

The boot holds a statement 310 litersand there’s a port between the two rear seats that allows for two sets of skis. This space is much larger than what you get in the 911, although the Bentley Continental GT has an extra 50L.

I’m not sure it would require a set of golf clubs, but it wouldn’t be too far-fetched – and compared to the tiny space in the Lexus LC 500, it’s a much more practical setup.

To see how the Maserati GranTurismo stacks up against the competition, check out our article comparison tool.

What’s under the bonnet?

Goodbye V8, hello turbocharged V6.

The engine in the new GranTurismo is shared with the MC20 supercar (where it makes more power) and the Grecale (where it makes less power) and is mated to four-wheel drive on the Modena and Trofeo.

Along with different power outputs, the Modena and Trofeo have different hardware at the rear axle. Where the former has a mechanical limited-slip differential, the latter has a more sophisticated electronically controlled differential to put the power down.

To see how the Maserati GranTurismo stacks up against the competition, check out comparison tool.

How does the Maserati GranTurismo drive?

Before going any further, the GranTurismo is first a road car and then a racing car. But since we drove it on the track first, and will have a chance to enjoy it on the track later… that’s what we’ll focus on here.

While it can’t match the old V8’s powerful aural character, there’s no complaining about the performance of the turbocharged V6 in the new GranTurismo. Smooth, torquey and incredibly quick, it’s an impressive engine in the Modena and Trofeo trims.

It also has a distinctive flat sound when you really push it, and the ignition cutting out at full throttle is very dangerous.

Shifting from the eight-speed automatic when you use one of the sculpted metal shift paddles is very quick in manual mode, but it’s smart enough to switch to automatic mode and just let it do its thing.

This isn’t just a big, bulky touring car with a rocket under the bonnet.

Braking from 250km/h at the end of The Bend’s long straights, the Trofeo in particular felt rock-solid. With a weight of nearly 1800kg, this is not a light car but the pedals are very firm and there is no uncomfortable feeling when the rear wants to overtake the front.

It will rotate when you release the brake, and once it has rotated, you can rely on the traction of the all-wheel drive system to pull you out without any real drama. The system is clearly biased towards the rear for power, but there’s an extra helping hand there to make it more accessible.

When cornering at high speed, the car is well balanced, without the constant thrust at the front that is often seen in big, heavy cars on the track.

A quick look under the bonnet shows that most of the engine sits behind the front axle line rather than protruding forward, which certainly helps with agility, and the air suspension does a great job of keeping overall control under control. 1800kg set.

While Porsche and Bentley rely on 48V anti-roll systems to actively prop up their heavy four-seater cars, Maserati doesn’t take the same measures with the GranTurismo.

In Corsa mode, with the suspension at its stiffest and the steering at its heaviest, you won’t really feel any discomfort.

Is this a race car? That’s what the MC20 is for, so the answer is “not really”.

But it’s still good enough to satisfy your cravings if you’re someone who wants to go faster on Australian roads, and our time at The Bend shows that the new GranTurismo is more than just a long-legged touring car with a big engine.

What do you get?

There are currently two petrol-powered versions of the Maserati GranTurismo range on offer in Australia.

GranTurismo highlights:

• 12.3-inch infotainment touch screen
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
  • Satellite positioning
  • DAB+, AM, FM digital radio
• 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster
• 8.8-inch climate control screen
• Sonus Faber sound system 860W/14 speakers
• Electric adjustable leather sports steering wheel
• 18-way power sports seats
• Extended leather trim with Campidoglio stitching
• Adaptive air suspension
• 20 inch front wheels
• 21 inch rear wheel
• Front brake disc 380mm, rear brake disc 350mm

Is the Maserati GranTurismo safe?

The Maserati GranTurismo has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP or ANCAP and probably never will be.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• 6 airbags
• Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
  • Forward, backward
  • Pedestrian Detection
• Blind spot assist
• Lane keeping assist
• Rear cross-traffic warning
• Surrounding camera
• Front and rear parking sensors

How much does it cost to run a Maserati GranTurismo?

Maserati backs its range with one Three-year warranty, unlimited kilometers.

That’s in line with what you’d get in a Porsche 911 or Bentley Continental, but lags behind what’s offered on Mercedes-Benz and BMW’s alternatives to the GranTurismo.

CarExpert review of Maserati GranTurismo

It’s taken a good while to get to Australia, but the new GranTurismo is an impressive take on the classic Maserati formula.

Its looks will certainly be enough to entice some buyers, but based on our first taste in Australia, this is more than just a pretty face.

There’s no substitute for the sound of a V8, but the performance the Nettuno V6 delivers is impossible to ignore – and it has a lot of character, which isn’t always the case when it comes to systems. smaller transmissions in modern sports cars.

For a car named after grand touring, it’s capable on the track, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it handles on a weekend getaway, too.

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