Maserati Quattroporte here in January

MASERATI’S flagship Quattroporte performance sedan will finally arrive in Australian showrooms in January next year, four months after the original slated on-sale date and a year after its reveal at the Detroit motor show.

Initially available in one specification only, the V8 GTS is priced from $319,800 not including on-road costs, marking a $21,000 jump over the previous-generation GTS that retailed for $298,800 until it was discontinued.

More recently, leftover stock of the outgoing model was priced at $250,000 for the standard Quattroporte in run-out.

Maserati says the GTS is the top-spec variant, indicating more specifications are set to arrive following its launch. Pricing places it in the vicinity of the 3.8-litre V8 Porsche Panamera GTS all-wheel drive GranTurismo that starts at $318,300 and slightly higher than the BMW M6 Gran Coupe that kicks off from $299,154.

A four-door Aston Martin Rapide is also available from $370,800, plus on-road costs and while pricing is yet to be announced for the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, the Maserati looks set to undercut it.

A twin-turbo V6 Quattroporte S variant is expected in Australia later in the first quarter and is likely to undercut the GTS, although pricing is yet to be confirmed.

The Quattroporte was supposed to launch here in September and Maserati puts the delay down to unprecedented global demand for the powerful four-door, with the Italian sports-luxury brand accepting 20,000 orders in the vehicle’s first nine months of sale.

This easily outstrips Maserati’s entire global sales for 2012 of 6300 units, and even smashes its best ever sales year of 2008 when the company sold 9000 cars worldwide.

The Quattroporte is the opening salvo in Maserati’s global product onslaught that will continue with the BMW 5 Series-baiting mid-size Ghibli sedan that launches locally in the second quarter of next year, followed by the Levante SUV that is rumoured to arrive later in the year.

The all-new super-sports sedan is larger and lighter than the model it replaces and Maserati says everything from the gearbox to the suspension, brakes and cabin is completely new, even the factory it is built in.

Powering the Quattroporte is a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 designed and developed by Maserati but built by fellow Fiat-owned supercar-maker Ferrari at its Maranello plant. This is matched with a new version of the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.

The V8 pumps out an impressive 390kW/650Nm, an increase of 59kW/150Nm over the old model’s 4.7-litre unit.

Maserati claims it is the fastest, most powerful and most fuel-efficient four-door to ever carry the trident badge, with a zero to 100km/h sprint time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 307km/h.

Fuel consumption for the 1900kg cruiser is 11.8 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, while CO2 emissions are 274g/km, marking a 20 per cent improvement in both emissions and fuel consumption over the previous model.

Bi-Xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights are standard on the GTS, as is an automatic lighting function that uses a camera mounted next to the rear-view mirror to alter the level of high beam and raise or lower it depending on speed and driving environment.

Twenty-inch alloy-wheels are standard, although customers can upsize to a 21-inch set or downsize to 19-inch hoops depending on their preference.

The increase in wheelbase over the outgoing model has improved front and rear passenger legroom, while shoulder room and cargo capacity has also increased.

An 8.4-inch touchscreen is standard and controls everything from the sat-nav, to the DVD player and audio controls for the 10-speaker sound system that includes radio, Bluetooth, auxiliary and USB jacks. A 15-speaker Bowers and Wilkins Premium Surround system is optional.

The touchscreen also houses controls for the front seat heating and ventilation, steering wheel heating and rear window shade.

Connectivity is a big focus for the Quattroporte and Maserati has included optional WLAN technology that makes the car a mobile hot-spot. A SIM card can be placed into its WLAN router creating a wireless signal that can take up to three devices simultaneously.

Unsurprisingly, the cabin is bathed in leather, and while the three-seat second row offers enough room for five occupants, buyers can choose an optional two-seat second row for a more luxurious, relaxed experience in the back.

The airline-style seating features ventilation, electrical movement and the option of a rear entertainment system with a 10.2-inch LCD display.

Buyers who stick with the traditional three-seat second row still get heated seats, sun blinds, a USB outlet in the armrest, cup-holders and ISOFIX fittings.

A dual-zone climate control system with 13 ventilation ports is standard, although a four-zone unit can be fitted for an extra cost.

Other standard gear includes auto dimming mirror, gear shift paddles, electric front seats with memory setting, electrically adjustable leather steering wheel with audio and cruise control functions, high-gloss ‘Erable’ wood finish, leather upholstery with an embossed trident logo, ambient lighting and keyless operation.

Safety features standard on the Australian-spec GTS includes a reversing camera, parking sensors, six airbags including side curtain airbags, active head restraints, adaptive cruise control and the ‘Maserati Stability Program’ that features hill-hold assist, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, a brake sensor that detects emergency braking and an anti-slip function that prevents the car from slipping when there is little grip.

The Quattroporte is yet to be tested by Euro NCAP, but its smaller Ghibli sibling was just awarded a maximum five-star rating from the European crash test authority this week.

Maserati Australia and New Zealand general manager Glen Sealey said the new model will build on the success of the previous version and be a key addition to the company’s local line-up as it celebrates its 100th year. “Maserati has kept all the features that made the previous car such a success, it has ensured that all the traditional Maserati values have been preserved and enhanced and yet, at the same time, it has produced an all-new car from the ground up that includes all the latest technology,” he said.

“This, combined with its considerably broader spread of variants across its market sector has proven a considerable success for the company and something that will be replicated in Australia and New Zealand in 2014.” 2013 Maserati Quattroporte pricing*

GTS (a)	$319,800

*Excludes on-road costs.