Road Test: 2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo
Italian Sports Sedan Luxury All The Way
There is so much emotion when walking into a Maserati dealership that it may overwhelm all other considerations.
Bill Peffer, Maserati CEO of the Americas, recently told us: “We know we sell on the cool factor and emotion, and something other than efficiency. Many manufacturers offer vehicles that are very good, but they aren’t emotive or inspiring, and they struggle. Maseratis have always been sold on desire, style, and exclusivity, and we are not for everybody as we would lose our essence if we tried to sell to everybody. We want a part of the market and will do it in a Maserati way.”
After spending a week in the 2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo we are beginning to understand the “Maserati way.” So much so that handing the keys back was difficult, but without a cool $148,495 rattling around in our pocket, that had to be our fate.
Ferrari Power
The Maserati Ghibli Trofeo has a Ferrari-designed and built 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, (new to the Ghibli Trofeo in 2021) that produces 580 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. When at the dealer, make sure to lift the hood and get a look at the beautiful Trofeo carbon fiber red and black engine cover, which by far is the most attractive we have seen.
With paddle shifters and three driver-selectable drive modes, including Corsa with launch control, the 8-speed automatic with a manual mode smoothly goes through the gears from 0-60 in under four seconds. The automatic transmission is operated by a pistol-grip shifter sending all that power to the rear wheels. Maserati says the top speed is a stunning 203 mph, which we believe, but did not attempt, making it the fastest vehicle in its class.
The EPA estimates fuel economy to be 13 mpg city/20 highway/16 combined running on 91 octane. The base Ghibli engine is a Ferrari-based 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 that gets 20 city/25 highway/18 combined. It is obvious the Ghibli buyer won’t be looking for high fuel mileage, but raw power and exhilarating driving. Sometimes you just have to have fun!
Climb In and Step On It
One of the most annoying thing about cars that pretend to be a sports sedan, but really aren’t, is their faux or overpowering exhaust note. This is not the problem with the Ghibli Trofeo as the sound emanating from the twin pipes is an aggressive, especially in Sport or Corsa (race) mode, where the rich grumble is ever-so-satisfying. We found ourselves turning off the excellent radio just to listen to the sweet sound emanating from the tailpipes. Clicking into a lesser drive mode of Normal or I.C.E. (Increased Control and Efficiency) reduces the sound level when creeping home late at night.
Acceleration is strong and builds as you glide through the gears. The Ferrari-based twin turbo V8 pulled strong and was responsive at any speed, making for a very pleasant driving experience.
The well-distributed 4,299-pound weight gave the Ghibli Trofeo a solid and confident ride. The staggered Pirelli PZero 245/35 front and 285/35 rear three-season tires, mounted on 21-inch forged aluminum wheels, provided excellent grip, even when pushing corners to their limit. And make no mistake, pushing the Ghibli Trofeo hard through corners is exactly what the designers and engineers had in mind.
The Ghibli Trofeo is wild enough to take on a race course and tame enough to be an everyday driver. It had a surprisingly smooth ride on Southern California’s mostly concrete freeways, which are grooved for water dispersal. Low profile tires and sports suspensions frequently result in feeling every crack and seam in this type of road surface, but not here. The tires were soft enough to absorb most imperfections, while the double wishbone front and five-arm multi-link rear suspension smoothed out the rest.
The Maserati Ghibli Trofeo comes standard with a Skyhook performance suspension that has electronic damping and a limited-slip differential. A Skyhook suspension utilizes electronic sensors to control the body and wheel reactions to bumps and other road nuisances. This semi-active suspension means shock absorber dampening is taking place for each wheel separately, within milliseconds, to maximize traction and ride comfort.
The electronically-assisted steering was direct, but light to the feel. The brakes were red Brembo 6-piston anodized caliper, ventilated and drilled discs. The brakes were grabby at first setting out in the morning, but progressively turned into what we were hoping for: good feel with straight and true, no fade stops.
To sum-up the handling, the Ghibli Trofeo was grippy, confident and predictable, even when exceeding the posted corner speed limit. The steering was quick enough for point-and-squirt cornering, which is when the turn-in is delayed and the car is asked to find a way out without losing control. Simply put, we were impressed.
Dynamic Presence
The Maserati Ghibli Trofeo drew stares, which is saying something in car-crazy Southern California, where every exotic is roaming free on the highways and can be found tucked away behind gates in tony neighborhoods. Ours was painted in Blu Emozione with a broad cream stripe that ran the center of the car, front to rear. Emozione roughy translates to “in search of excitement,” which describes this two-tone color scheme quite well. There is one base non-metallic color of Blanco, but all of the other 22 colors have an extra cost. The four metallic colors range in price from $1,200 to $6,500, while the 18 custom colors cost $6,500 to $17,000.
The Ghibli Trofeo, with its muscular design, looks nothing like its closest competitors—the BMW M-series, Mercedes-Benz’ AMG line or Cadillac’s Blackwing models. Its design, which has not changed significantly since it debuted in 2013, has a feeling of movement and speed, especially with the down-sloping hood and nose that leads to the concave grille sporting the Maserati Trident badge. The grille is bordered by adaptive LED headlights that sneer down from the extremities of the fenders.
Sans chrome, the sides have carbon fiber air intakes are smooth save for an upsweeping crease running along the lower doors. The roof, with a power sunroof, drops to a short trunk deck that sports a small integrated spoiler separating the LED boomerang-shaped tail lights. Make sure to look for the subtle Italian flag badge on the B pillar.
Carbon Fiber, Wood and Leather
The interior looked and smelled great; there’s nothing like leather almost everywhere. The 12-way heated and ventilated power sport seats were embossed with the Trofeo logo on the front and rear headrests. Front seat comfort was excellent as was leg and headroom. Carrying black and gray color throughout the cabin, carbon fiber and natural wood accents gave a level of class as did the Inox sport pedals. The Alcantara-covered headliner and pillars were a nice touch.
The soft touch dash, with a 7.0-inch instrument cluster and two large round analog gauges, had brushed aluminum trim surrounding the radio, the air vents, and the classy digital clock that oddly was not facing the driver, but a few degrees to the right. Maserati is part of the family that also makes Dodge, Chrysler, Ram and Jeep, so there are some shared bits and pieces in the cabin, specifically the infotainment system. I personally have always liked this system’s controls, look and ease-of-use, though some may find it isn’t fancy enough for this class of vehicle. The 10.1-inch LCD touchscreen houses the navigation and the Bowers & Wilkens premium audio system. The 1,300-watt 15-speaker system has SiriusXM, AM/FM/HD radio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Alexa Built-in. Through the Maserati Connected Services Bluetooth voice commands for the radio and telephone are accessible by just saying “Hey Maserati.”
Other interior features are a leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel with controls for audio, telephone and smart cruise control. Homelink, wireless phone charging, keyless entry with remote start, dual zone automatic climate control and soft close doors round out the offerings.
A four-door sedan, the rear seat access was good, and the seat comfort was soft, but legroom was tight. Air vents and ventilation controls are found in the rear of the center console with cup holders in the fold down armrest.
Safety
The Ghibli Trofeo comes with an extensive list of standard advanced driver assistant systems (ADAS), including adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist, full front, head, side, and driver knee airbags. There is a surround view camera and front and rear parking sensors, blind spot detection and assist, forward collision warning with autonomous braking, pedestrian warning, a tire pressure monitoring system and a security alarm.
The Ghibli has not been rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) gave it a Good overall rating.
The Ghibli comes with 4-year/50,000-mile warranties for the powertrain, new vehicle (bumper-to-bumper), roadside assistance and corrosion perforation.
Pricing
The 2022 Ghibli comes in four trims, GT, Modena, Modena Q4 and Trofeo, ranging in base prices, including the mandatory $1,495 destination fee, from $86,795, $93,595, $96,295 and $123,495. Clean Fleet Report’s 2022 Trofeo had $25,000 in options, bringing the total to $148,495.
Observations: 2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo
Trofeo means trophy in Italian. A good name for the highest trim level for the 2022 Maserati Ghibli. We were impressed with what Maserati has done to keep this nearly decade-old car vibrant and relevant. The Ferrari twin-turbo V8 engine and additional standard safety systems make it a worthy competitor among luxury sports sedans.
The Ghibli doesn’t sell in big numbers as its exclusivity is limited to discriminating, well-financed buyers. Competing against luxury sports sedans from Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Karma, Lexus, Lucid, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Cadillac, the Ghibli is drawing on the rich Italian heritage of performance and style. Most of the top fashion houses in the world are in Italy, with Maserati drawing a connection between their luxury Ghibli and high fashion.
Is a performance car like the 2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo right for everyone? Not in reality, but certainly in their dreams. We were reluctant to hand back the keys.
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Story and photos by John Faulkner.
Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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