Is the Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo the grandest of grand tourers? With a Ferrari-designed V8 up front and a deliciously luxurious interior in the rear, it just might be.
2022 Maserati Quattroporte
Upper-echelon limousines are, by their very nature, rare beasts. Cars like the 2022 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo raise the bar even higher with envelope-pushing performance courtesy of a Ferrari-derived V8 heart beating under the bonnet.
And, unlike Mercedes-Benz and BMW saloons, which are often seen as hire limos at airport pickups, the Maserati Quattroporte retains a sense of exclusivity more likely to be spotted in valet car parks and winery forecourts alongside Bentleys and Rolls-Royces.
So, what’s life like behind the wheel of one of Australia’s most exclusive high-performance luxury sedans? We jump in to find out.
How much does the Maserati Quattroporte cost in Australia?
The Maserati Quattroporte sits as Maserati’s flagship sedan above the slightly smaller Ghibli sedan and as a step up from cars like the Levante large SUV, but without the single-minded performance approach of the MC20 coupe and roadster.
Within the Quattroporte range there are three models to choose from: GT, Modena, and the Trofeo, which is exclusively powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, compared to a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 in the GT and Modena.
Following a recent price rise, the range starts from $215,000 for the Quattroporte GT, $275,000 for the Quattroporte Modena, and tops out from $385,000 for the Trofeo – all before on-road costs.
Trofeo specification seriously up the ante, with a 433kW twin-turbo V8 and rear-wheel drive delivering a top speed of 326km/h. Not that we experienced that on this drive, however.
Externally, the Trofeo plays a game of subtle menace with twin-bar grille finished in gloss black, carbon-fibre front bumper intakes, mirror caps, B-pillar trims, rear diffuser and more, plus red highlights on the front guard vents and badging. That and a set of 21-inch alloy wheels riding – of course – on a bespoke chassis tune exclusive to the Trofeo.
| Key details | 2022 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo |
| Price | $385,000 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Nero Ribelle |
| Options | Exterior carbon package – $6175 Bowers & Wilkins premium surround sound – $6157 Metallic paint – $3927 Rear privacy glass – $3435 Leather sports steering wheel with carbon insert – $2445 Interior carbon package – $1941 Space-saver spare wheel – $1385 Wireless phone charge – $579 Extended keyless entry (incl. rear doors) – $554 Remote start – $543 |
| Price as tested | $412,141 plus on-road costs |
| Rivals | Bentley Flying Spur | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | Audi S8 |
How much space does the Maserati Quattroporte have inside?
The interior of the Quattroporte is a restrained place to spend time. The look is not what you’d call timeless, but Maserati’s approach will surely stand the test of time better than the LED lighting bleeding from every surface that you find in a modern Mercedes-Benz.
It’s the classic touches, like buried Easter eggs, that are worth looking for. The small trident ingot at the base of the gear selector, the Maserati timepiece in the centre of the dashboard, the painstakingly aligned carbon-fibre interior grain, and the elegant watch face-style gauges convey a sense of poise and luxury.
The console offers a lidded wireless charge shelf, covered cupholders, and a small lidded armrest. Not built for utility, but good enough to handle your keys, wallet and phone at least.
The meticulously quilted seat and door leather are both lovely to look at and exquisite to touch. The scent of the interior leaves no doubt that genuine, top-quality hides have been used throughout. Not just on the seating surfaces, of course, but also across the dash, doors and console.
The driving position is set low, and the seats aren’t something you sit on. You sink into them. The balance falls somewhere between outright sports car and comfortable tourer. Even after a solid day behind the wheel, I couldn’t find fault with the front seats.
That’s not to say the Quattroporte has all bases covered. Don’t expect to find seat massaging here, but front seat heating and cooling, and rear seat heating are included. The front seats feature power adjustment and the driver’s seat comes with memory recall.
The rear seats, similarly, are a little more basic. There’s no adjustment, and certainly not the powered kind. If you’re looking for a reclining rear seat, fold-out ottoman, rear seat entertainment, or console controls, look elsewhere. It’s clear the focus is on the driver.
The rear row does offer impressive leg room for the two outboard passengers, but head room is limited. The centre seat is equipped with a seatbelt, but it’s hard to imagine who might fit there: the seat is high, narrow, and straddles a tall transmission tunnel.
Powered rear blinds on the doors and back windscreen offer some privacy for VIPs at least. There are soft-close doors, too, for a more limo-like experience.
The boot lid is similarly power-operated and offers 530L of storage space. Near on the 535L of a long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and beyond the 505L of an Audi S8 and paltry 420L in a Bentley Flying Spur. If you need more space, the rear seat also features a 60:40 split and can be folded down for long loading.
| 2022 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 530L seats up |
| Length | 5262mm |
| Width | 1948mm |
| Height | 1481mm |
| Wheelbase | 3171mm |
Does the Maserati Quattroporte have Apple CarPlay?
Underpinning the infotainment system is MIA (Maserati Intelligent Assistant), which is a 10.1-inch curved display touchscreen infotainment system.
At the system’s core is an Android Automotive operating system, plus access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded navigation, digital radio, plus a row of dedicated on-screen shortcuts to other infotainment functions, climate control, and vehicle settings. Up top, there are shortcuts to seat heating/ventilation and steering wheel heating too.
The graphics are high-resolution and load times between screens are lightning fast. Menus are easy to follow, and Maserati’s user interface (which closely mirrors that of other brands from the Stellantis group parent company) is slick and easy to decipher.
For ease of use on the go, the Quattroporte also has a small console-mounted rotary controller, which allows secondary control of on-screen functions.
The standard audio fit-out includes a 10-speaker audio system, but this particular car was fitted with an optional Bowers & Wilkins premium surround-sound system. The clarity and pronounced mid range (where plenty of car audio seems to fall down) impressed photographer Ted and me enough that we just looked at each other silently and nodded. Tick this box, for sure.
Is the Maserati Quattroporte a safe car?
The Maserati Quattroporte goes without a safety rating from either ANCAP or its Euro NCAP counterpart. Given the car’s age overall, it’s unlikely to be assessed in its current generation.
| 2022 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo | |
| ANCAP rating | Untested |
What safety technology does the Maserati Quattroporte have?
Included safety systems on the Maserati Quattroporte cover things like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist and lane-departure warning, speed sign recognition, active blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, active driving assist (combining cruise control and lane-keep assist for ‘Level 2’ semi-autonomous driver assist), and a sharp 360-degree camera system.
Maserati’s tech implementation works well. At all times the driver has the feeling that they are in control, but system interventions are smooth and not too alarming (not that we called on them too often). False positives didn’t pop up during our time with the car, and it’s nice to know that a car positioned as a driver’s car actually lets the driver control the action without fighting for control.
Some more advanced functions like reverse AEB and forward AEB with intersection intervention are missing from the list, but Maserati has kept pace with the broader market.
How much does the Maserati Quattroporte cost to maintain?
Overseas, Maserati offers pre-paid service programs for the Quattroporte with service intervals set every 24 months or 20,000km. In Australia, the brand does things differently, with 12-month/10,000km intervals and no capped-price or pre-paid service programs. Service pricing may vary between dealers.
Insurance for the Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo proved difficult. A number of leading insurers were ‘unable to provide a quote’, and one would only insure the vehicle on the condition it was parked in a garage both night and day – essentially precluding it from usage.
As this was the only way we could cover the car, the quote came to a surprisingly low $1483 per month. Specialist enthusiast insurance firms would likely be your better option for a vehicle like this – and in all honesty, expect the insurance premium to be much higher.
Our insurance information is based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
| At a glance | 2022 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo |
| Warranty | Three years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km |
| Servicing costs | Not available |
Is the Maserati Quattroporte fuel-efficient?
If you’re buying a 433kW V8 Maserati to watch fuel bills, you’re buying the wrong vehicle. That said, the claimed 12.2 litres per 100km fuel consumption isn’t particularly unreasonable.
Our time in the big Maserati returned 16.8L/100km. There was plenty of enthusiastic driving in the hills, so it’s hard to be too critical of this as a figure. To be honest, I expected we might crest the 20L/100km mark, but the Trofeo stayed well under this mark.
With such a highly strung, high-performance engine to keep healthy, it stands to reason the Quattroporte Trofeo requires 98-octane premium unleaded petrol.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 12.2L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 16.8L/100km |
| Fuel type | 98-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 80L |
What is the Maserati Quattroporte like to drive?
Before the drive even starts, the Quattroporte experience is one to be savoured. More than just mere transport, the Trofeo makes a spectacle of every drive. From the heft of the doors to the heady leather scent of the interior, Maserati ownership encompasses more than just reaching your destination.
Tap the starter button and there’s a strong but soft V8 rumble that fills the air. At idle the car is quiet and smooth, and in traffic it’s barely any louder than a regular Quattroporte. Push harder, though, and a fantastic V8 burble fills the cabin – never rough and never uncouth.
The steering wheel is an interesting mix of big diameter and narrow rim, but the balance works. Coupled with hugely connected front wheels, but a surprising amount of assistance, the big sedan shrinks around you and feels light on its feet.
Where I expected (perhaps feared) that the ride would be bouncy, harsh or unforgiving, the reality is very different. Firm undertones betray the ugly side of patchy tarmac, but the Trofeo tends to glide over more of the road’s imperfections.
Notching the drive mode from Normal to Sport doesn’t bring things undone either. Steering firms slightly, and the ride is more resolutely settled, but ultimately the same corner-to-corner fluidity remains, with a little extra encouragement to thread a winding road together.
Best of all, by bumping up the drive mode, the V8 rumble becomes more pronounced. Sport mode makes it grumbly at idle, with a pitch that rises as revs do, albeit without breaking into a hard-edged or heavy-metal soundtrack at any point.
The 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine sits on the same branch of the family tree as the V8 engines featured in Ferrari’s range. In this application it’s tuned to 433kW and 730Nm – so down on power and torque compared to the 530kW/770Nm 3.9-litre in an F8 Tributo.
There’s a muscle car rather than sports car feel down low with an off-idle muscularity that makes the Trofeo easy to handle around town, though still fairly formidable with the amount of power on tap.
Flex your right foot and it’s clear that the 4.5-second 0–100km/h claim is openly and easily accessible. For the roads I covered on this drive, twisting, with tight spots and sweepers, the engine is its own reward. Instantly responsive, quick to rev, and incredible to listen to as it works.
The last 430+kW rear-wheel-drive super saloon I punted at speed, a Mercedes-AMG S63, felt like it desperately needed all-wheel drive to calm its ill-tempered relationship with the tarmac. The Quattroporte could not be more different, with a much more settled rear axle, a calmer but no less instant climb into its torque band, and lovely poised handling approaching the limit.
If anything, the ZF eight-speed automatic might be – in some situations – too gentle. It can’t fire off the kinds of whip-crack split-second gear changes that a dual-clutch auto can. For all its polite tolerance to shuffling through city traffic, though, it’s hugely forgiving.
| Key details | 2022 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo |
| Engine | 3.8-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol |
| Power | 433kW @ 6700rpm |
| Torque | 730Nm @ 2250–5250rpm |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Eight-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 216kW/t |
| Weight (tare) | 2000kg |
| Spare tyre type | Space-saver (optional) |
| Turning circle | 11.8m |
Should I buy a Maserati Quattroporte?
The Quattroporte won’t appeal to everyone, which is possibly its biggest drawcard.
Hyper high-tech limousines, with high levels of automation, exist in the same price bracket as the Quattroporte Trofeo, but they are absolutely not the same thing.
Maserati’s craftsmanship and styling are traditional, polished, stately, and increasingly rare. The Trofeo’s pointed handling and breathtaking performance belie the luxuriant leg room and impressive interior accommodation. As a result, the final product appeals to the heart as much as senses – even if your rational side may not always agree.
That’s hardly the point, though. When it comes to Ferrari-engined four-doors, the mystique outweighs the practical – and if that appeals to you, there’s only one car to fit the bill.
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