2017 Maserati Ghibli Review

Maserati teases you with the base Ghibli, and it's not a bad choice if you just love the design. But its performance is underwhelming, and for speed that matches the style, you'll need to go with the Ghibli S or all-wheel drive S Q4. Both offer more horsepower and torque than the base model, as...

Smooth throttle delivery. The eight-speed automatic is happy to kick down a gear but could use stronger throttle blips for smoother rev-matched downshifts.

Not overly quick, but the 350-hp twin-turbo V6 provides a smooth flow of thrust from 3,000 to 6,500 rpm. The exhaust gets growly in Sport.

The pedal has some softness early in the stroke. But the brakes do a good job of hauling the Ghibli down from speed with zero drama. No pedal fade.

The effort is a tad too light, with our test car exhibiting a rubbery feel off-center. It feels artificial, like it's electric. But it's hydraulic. Still, the Ghibli goes where it's pointed.

Precise, willing and perfectly balanced. Not only is the Ghibli easy to control at the limit, but it exhibits almost zero understeer. As midsize luxury sport sedans go, this is one of the best.

Smooth throttle delivery. The eight-speed automatic is happy to kick down a gear but could use stronger throttle blips for smoother rev-matched downshifts.

The Ghibli is quiet and comfortable, especially considering it's an Italian sport sedan. The front and rear seats are well padded. The turbo V6 only gets loud when the Sport button is activated. The Normal suspension setting is just soft enough.

The front and rear seats are thickly padded and comfy. The front buckets have good lumbar support. Your body settles into these seats, forming instant lateral support to keep you secure when going around turns.

Our test car's optional adjustable suspension should satisfy most. Normal mode isn't overly cushy, but it smooths out the big bumps. Sport mode is definitely more jiggly.

Excellent sound deadening and dual-pane glass keep the Ghibli extremely quiet in normal driving. Summer tires, however, do produce some extra humming over coarse surfaces.

The Ghibli's interior isn't as sumptuous as we thought it would be, and there are some ergonomic oddities. But there's plenty of room and good outward visibility as well as some useful storage/cargo ideas.

The steering wheel has a overly large diameter. It's hard to see lights on buttons next to the console shifter and for the climate controls. The left-side paddle shifter interferes with the turn-signal stalk operation.

Access to the front is easy, but the rear doors are small. Your feet can get caught on the doorsill on your way in. The center console also protrudes rearward in back, which can make it hard to slide across to the other rear seat.

Excellent headroom front and rear, even for tall people. Good kneeroom for the driver and decent elbow space up front. Rear footroom is poor, though.

The narrow and short windshield pillars allow an excellent view out the front, perfect for looking through turns. The rear of the car sweeps up, and the rear window is wide but short. A rearview camera is standard, as you'd expect.

The interior could be better. The Chrysler switchgear brings down the quality level of the Ghibli. We also noticed some sharp edges on the trim, and one car had a rattle from the back deck.

The better-than-average trunk space, split-folding rear seats and rear seat pass-through give the Ghibli surprising cargo-carrying flexibility and utility.

No front bin, but there's a large (and cooled) center armrest bin. The door pockets are reasonably deep, but they're narrow.

Uniform shape to 17.7-cubic-foot trunk, bigger than that of the E-Class or even CLS-Class but pales compared to the Audi A7's, for example. Split folding rear seats come standard and enhance utility.

The 2017 Ghibli makes a welcome tech leap forward, with upgraded in-car electronics and new driver assistance features. A new dial controller makes for easier infotainment roaming, while forward collision warning, auto emergency braking and adaptive cruise control make a long-overdue appearance.

An 8.4-inch touchscreen display appears lifted from the Dodge-Jeep-Chrysler family, but that's not a bad thing. Big surface area and quick response make it easy to use on the road. Optional audio systems are legitimate audiophile offerings, especially the 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround system.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration are now included. There's no native in-car app suite (diagnostics, service reminders, concierge service), but we don't miss one either.

Maserati has answered complaints about a lack of available driver assistance technologies with the 2017 Ghibli. Options include most of the now-common features: blind-spot monitoring, auto emergency braking and lane keeping assist, among others.