Rob Maetzig

Maserati Quattroporte has been facelifted, but it remains one of the world’s most involving performance sedans, says after a day’s driving in Aussie.

Glen Sealey, Maserati’s chief operating officer for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, was quick to respond to a question whether the Italian brand’s freshly facelifted Quattroporte sedan now has lane-keeping self steer like some other luxury product.

‘‘Nope,’’ he told journalists at a media briefing in inland New South Wales this week.

‘‘This car still uses hydraulic power steering, in the interests of driver engagement. It’s the type of car it is. Driver involvement is a key priority. We want the drivers of our vehicles to be engaged.

‘‘So any driver aid systems we have added to the Quattroporte are there to get drivers through the more mundane times. But it is important to note that these are driver aids – not car interventions.’’

Important point that, because the Quattroporte is quite oldschool, traditionally all about the enjoyment that comes from putting a high-performance engine into a four-door sedan.

That’s what happened way back in 1963 when the first Quattroporte was launched and immediately positioned Maserati as a master of sports sedan design. Six generations later the original concept remains.

The latest version was launched three and a half years ago, and more than 24,000 of them have since been sold in 72 countries. Now it has undergone a substantial facelift that has given it new styling inside and out, two new trim lines, and introduction of a host of new driver assistance systems.

But not driver interventions, remember. This big sedan continues to rely on the driver to keep on the straight and narrow.

‘‘These (changes) will ensure the Quattroporte maintains its position as... providing a full involved, performance-oriented driving experience,’’ said Sealey.

So what driver aids are aboard the 2017 Quattroporte, which is arriving in New Zealand about now? It gets adaptive cruise control with a stop/go function, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automated emergency braking, blind spot alert and rear cross-traffic alert, a latest rear-view camera, and a new surround-view camera.

It’s the sort of stuff that is also aboard vehicles that are far less expensive than the up to $285,000 being asked for this Maserati. But as Sealey so succinctly pointed out, they are there to help the driver during the more mundane times. And mundane is certainly not the appropriate description for the Quattroporte.

Even in its $179,990 entry petrol form, which we had for the day during the media event based at Bathurst inland from Sydney, the car’s 257kw twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 offers stirring performance – 0-100kmh in 5.5 seconds, and the ability to punch a couple of buttons that transform both the suspension and the engine/transmission settings for improved handling capability.

There are some lovely roads around Bathurst. They wind and undulate through the countryside, and the tarmac surfaces themselves vary from smooth to rippling. Just as well then that the Maserati can be kept in a sport setting for the engine and transmission, but at the same time the car’s Skyhook suspension can have its dampers electronically returned from sport to normal in the interests of a smoother ride.

The suspension system itself has been revised as part of the facelift so it offers better response, and the eight-speed transmission has been remapped for faster kickdowns and more aggressive shifts when in the sport mode. Brakes have also been improved thanks to new computer software that helps give better pedal feel.

There have been numerous cosmetic changes to the Quattroporte. Frontal changes include a redefined grille that is now of a design inspired by the Alfieri concept car and which already features in the new Maserati Levante SUV.

Behind the grille there’s now an electronically adjustable air shutter shutter system which helps control the engine’s temperature and contributes to a 3 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. The Quattroporte’s interior features a new centre console that includes an 8.4-inch screen with multi-touch function, and there’s a new infotainment system that is compatible with Apple Carplay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

All the Maseratis are now equipped with an air quality sensor system that calculates pollution levels outside the car and prevents polluted air and toxic gases from getting inside.

A feature of the Quattroporte facelift is the introduction of a pair of trim options – Granlusso and Gransport, which are available right through the range which has now increased to nine models.

Granlusso is the luxury trim. It features more delicate exterior styling and 20-inch wheels, while the interior has been designed in conjunction with Italian men’s luxury fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna and features silk fabric on the seats, doors, head-liner and sun visors. There is also open pore wood trim on the dash.

Meanwhile the Gransport has 21-inch wheels and a more aggressive exterior, while the interior has very sculpted sports seats front and rear, a sports steering wheel, and high-gloss piano black wood trim on the dash.

Pricing for the MY17 Quattroporte starts at $178,990 for a single 3.0-litre turbodiesel model and $179,990 for its 257kw 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol equivalent.

Then it moves into Granlusso and Gransport versions of the 257kw model, higher-powered 301kw V6 S models, and 390kw twin-turbo V8 GTS models, with prices ranging from $199,990 for the Gransport V6 through to $285,000 for the Granlusso GTS V8.

Sealey is predicting the facelifted Quattroporte will contribute to a record 2017 for Maserati in Australia. He’s expecting the Italian marque’s sales to virtually double to 1000 units, primarily the result of arrival of the Levante SUV which he forecasts will account for 59 per cent of all sales.

Sealey is forecasting the Quattroporte will account for around 6 per cent of the forecast 1000 sales. That’s a total of 60 sales in Australasia – with the most popular being the Gransport version of the GTS V8.