2024 Maserati GranTurismo review

Maserati GranTurismo Cons

• Our taste was brief
• Big price rises over old model
• Yep, we still miss the V8 noise

The Maserati GranTurismo is back after five years in the wilderness.

The last GranTurismo died in 2019 after 12 years and more than 40,000 sales worldwide, and it took one of the world's sexiest engines to the grave in the process.

Forget the dated cabin or slightly wobbly drive, the sound of the naturally aspirated V8 engine made up for it all.

The new car takes a very different approach. For starters, there's an electric Folgore coming to Australia later in 2024… and even the petrol Modena and Trofeo have subbed the sonorous V8 for a version of the Nettuno turbo V6 debuted in the MC20 supercar.

For all the changes though, the fundamental formula underpinning the GranTurismo hasn't been messed with.

Long and low with curves in all the right places, you still get space for four people inside, and a properly usable boot down back for all their kit. It's a grand tourer, after all.

Rather than a cross-country road trip, our first taste of the new GranTurismo came on track at The Bend in South Australia.

The price of the new GranTurismo has risen compared to the old car, although it's been five years since it went off sale.

The base price has increased by $80,000 in the case of the Modena, and $105,000 when it comes to the Trofeo.

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

This is better.

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

This isn't designed to be a track star, it's designed to take four passengers long distances in style and comfort. That means the seats don't have rock hard bolsters to climb over, and there's plenty of headroom up front for tall drivers.

Although we didn't have all that long to poke and prod things, quality generally felt excellent. The seats are trimmed in supple leather, the sculptural paddles behind the wheel are made of real metal, and 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 hewn-from-granite solidity of the switches in a Porsche 911, and anyone who's driven an Alfa Romeo Tonale will recognise the little plastic air vent flow controllers.

The fact we're whinging about minor controls shows how far this car has come. Based on our first taste, the idea of spending serious time behind the wheel is pretty damn appealing.

Maserati's new infotainment technology is built on a version of the Android Automotive bones that also underpins the tech in the latest Jeep and RAM products, albeit with some unique graphics, pages, colours, and fonts.

It's easy to use and worked well in our drive to The Bend in the Grecale, with a clean Apple CarPlay integration that hooked up reliably. The climate touchscreen below it is fiddly at first acquaintance but gets better with time, and can be navigated with minimal hands-off-wheel time with practice.

It would be nice if the GranTurismo had a bit more differentiation from the Grecale though, perhaps with bespoke dials or expensive-feeling buttons for the climate controls to impart a classic Italian feeling. Maybe we're asking too much.

As for the rear seats. Well, they're significantly better than what's on offer in a Porsche 911, and Maserati claims they put a Bentley Continental in the shade for occupant space. The front seats tilt and slide with power assistance, and it's actually reasonably easy to clamber back there.

Kids and short adults will genuinely be able to get comfortable back there, ensconced in the leather seats. The bench itself is nicely scalloped, and headroom is solid under the longer rear windscreen. USB ports, air vents, and cupholders round out the amenities.

The boot holds a claimed 310 litres, and there's a port between the rear seats that allows two sets of skis to be loaded. It's a much bigger space than you get in a 911, although the Bentley Continental GT packs another 50L.

I'm not sure it'd take a set of golf clubs, but it wouldn't be far off the mark – and relative to the tiny space in a Lexus LC 500, it's a far more practical setup.

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

Goodbye V8 engine, 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), and is mated with all-wheel drive on the Modena and Trofeo.

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

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

Before we go too deep, the GranTurismo is a road car first and a track car second. But given we drove it on track first, and will get the chance to enjoy it on the road second… that's what we'll focus on here.

Although it can't match the bombastic old V8 for aural character, it's impossible to complain about how the turbo V6 in the new GranTurismo performs. Smooth, torquey, and seriously fast, it's an impressive engine in Modena and Trofeo guises.

It also has a distinctive flat-plane bark when you're really pushing, and the ignition cut on full throttle upshifts is vicious.

Shifts from the eight-speed automatic when you grab one of the sculptural metal paddle shifters are whip-crack fast in manual mode, but it's smart enough to leave in automatic and just let it go to work.

It's more than just a lumbering grand tourer with a rocket under the bonnet, too.

Braking from 250km/h at the end of The Bend's long main straight, the Trofeo in particular feels rock solid. At almost 1800kg it's not a light car, but the pedal is rock solid and there's no uncomfortable sense the rear wants to overtake the front end.

It's keen to rotate as you bleed off the brakes, and once it's turned you can lean on the all-wheel drive traction to drag you out without any real drama. The system is clearly rear-biased under power, but there's an extra helping hand there to make it more approachable.

Through the higher-speed corners it's nicely balanced, without the persistent push at the front end you often get in big, heavy vehicles on the track.

A peek under the bonnet reveals most of the engine is behind the front axle line rather than hanging out over the front, which no doubt aids agility, and the air suspension system does a good job keeping all 1800kg in check.

Where Porsche and Bentley lean on 48V anti-roll systems to actively prop up their heavy four-seat cars, Maserati hasn't taken the same step with the GranTurismo.

In Corsa mode, with the suspension at its firmest and the steering at its heaviest, it's not something you really miss.

Is this a track car? That's what the MC20 is for, so the answer is "not really".

But it does a good enough job to scratch that itch if you're an owner keen to go faster than you'll ever be able to on Australian roads, and our time at The Bend revealed the new GranTurismo is more than a long-legged cruiser with a big engine.

There are currently two petrol-powered variants of the Maserati GranTurismo range offered in Australia.

GranTurismo highlights:

The Maserati GranTurismo hasn't been crash tested by Euro NCAP or ANCAP, nor will it likely ever be.

Standard safety equipment includes:

Maserati backs its range with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

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

It's taken its sweet time getting to Australia, but the new GranTurismo is an impressive take on the classic Maserati formula.

The way it looks will no doubt be enough for some buyers, but based on our first Australian taste this is more than just a pretty face.

There's no replacing the way the V8 sounded, but it's impossible to ignore the performance on offer from the Nettuno V6 engine – and it has plenty of character, which isn't always the case when it comes to the downsized powerplants in modern sports cars.

For a car named after grand touring, it's impressively capable around the track. We're looking forward to seeing how it handles a weekend away as well.

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Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au