Paris show: Maserati tweaks Ghibli

MASERATI has detailed model year updates for its Ghibli and Quattroporte sedan siblings at the Paris motor show ahead of their late-2016 Australian launch.

While the changes for the Quattroporte were detailed back in June, the subtle updates to the mid-size Ghibli include a pair of new equipment packages and new connectivity tech.

The Ghibli will be offered with a Luxury and Sport package that help individualise the exterior and interior of the Italian E-Class rival.

The Luxury package adds Zegna Edition silk and premium leather upholstery, while the Sport includes new sports seats and a sports steering wheel with aluminium paddle shifters.

A pair of Carbon packages are offered to buyers who opt for the Sports package, one that adds flourishes to the cabin and another that incorporates carbon to the exterior.

As part of the model year 2017 upgrade, the Ghibli benefits from many of the new infotainment additions detailed with the refreshed Quattroporte.

The central dashboard has been redesigned to incorporate a new high-resolution 8.4-inch touchscreen which is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Maserati says the lower part of the console has also been redesigned and now has a rotary knob for volume and other functions as well as a new storage compartment.

The Ghibli also features an Air Quality Sensor – a system similar to Tesla’s – that combines a sensor and a “signal analysis system” to determine external pollution levels and prevents toxic air and gases from penetrating the cabin.

A new suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems will be offered as an option and includes adaptive cruise control with stop and go, a blind spot alert, lane departure warning and forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, while a surround view monitor is a further option.

Under the bonnet, the Ghibli’s Ferrari-built twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine matched with an eight-speed ZF auto now delivers 261kW, up from 243kW, over the outgoing model, boosting the top speed to 267km/h, while the 0-100km/ time is 5.5 seconds – 0.1s quicker than before.

The other engines – a 301kW version of the twin-turbo petrol V6 in the Ghibli S and a 202kW 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel – carry on unchanged.

Pricing and Australian specification will be revealed at the launch in late November. The current range kicks off from $139,900 plus on-road costs for the diesel and rises to $169,900 for the Ghibli S.

The Ghibli has been a smash hit for Maserati since its mid-2014 Australian launch and has quickly become the iconic Italian car-maker’s top seller.

So far this year it has clocked up 250 sales, and while it is trailing rivals in the premium large sedan segment such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (740), Audi A6 (333), BMW 5 Series (383) and Jaguar XF (309), it is ahead of the Mercedes-Benz CLS (229), Lexus GS (138) and Audi A7 (108).