2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo Test: Grand Tourific

From the May/June issue of Car and Driver.

Are any initials more misused than the G and T of a purported grand tourer?

Most GTs are either sports cars with a smidge more seat cushion or luxury coaches with a string of extra ponies to pull the weight. Those variations have their charms, but a true grand tourer should combine comfort, performance, and practicality in a way that makes the driver—and passenger—want to extend every road trip. The 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo takes its moniker seriously, with a long and lean profile, an interior plush enough to spend days in, and 542 well-muscled horses to make short work of the long way.

We’ll quickly pour out a tribute to the departed V-8 powerplants, because the GranTurismo’s curved hood covers a toned-down version of the Nettuno twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 from the Maserati MC20 supercar. Or, if you want to step it up, there’s the electric 818-hp three-motor GranTurismo Folgore. Don’t cry over spilled cylinders, though, because if any engine can make hexophiles out of octostans, it’s this smooth six-pack with bountiful low-end torque in every drive mode and a confident howl under throttle punctuated by sizzling-bacon pops at each upshift. Sure, it’s not quite as deep a song as Maserati’s outgoing eight-cylinder, but the tune it sings is a bop, and we’re feeling it. The Nettuno isn’t just a good-sounding engine; at the test track, it dug in with all 479 pound-feet of torque to lay down an 11.5-second quarter-mile, crossing the line at 121 mph after reaching 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. For Joe Walsh fans who may be wondering, yes, it will do 185. Technical editor Dan Edmunds says he saw 189 before he ran out of straightaway, but “My Maserati does 189 and is still pulling” doesn’t rhyme as well with “Now I don’t drive.”

The Trofeo’s engine is backed by ZF’s eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Around town, the ZF makes quick and painless gearchanges, and in manual mode, the paddles give instant response and those fun exhaust crackles. Maserati offers four wheel designs for the GranTurismo, all 20 inches in the front and 21 inches in the rear. Our test car wore the standard gloss-black Pegasos wrapped in Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer tires. We kept those Pirellis in motion and saw 17 mpg. The EPA ratings for the Trofeo are 21 combined, 18 city, and 27 highway, but the feds don’t drive like we do.

Although it’s a heavy car at 4207 pounds, the Trofeo makes tidy turns with minimal wallow and averaged 0.97 g on the skidpad. On big straightaways, it will tear forward or cruise politely, with enthusiasm tempered only by your ankle angle. Adaptive air springs make a noticeable change from Comfort mode’s breezy float to the lowered, more connected feel of Corsa. We found ourselves preferring the low-key charms of the in-between GT mode, which seems to make the car hover over small cracks and bumps in the road surface while still keeping body motions tight through corners. Passengers preferred it too, and we had plenty of willing riders.

The exterior of the GranTurismo is gorgeous—a similar shape to previous models but with a more cheerful lift to its straked front grille and a profile that narrows and flares with the elegance of a bias-cut silk gown. Its broad flanks make room in the trunk for whatever you need to carry on your ideal road-trip adventure, and inside, the front seats are large and supportive, while the rears are . . . there. A small person would fit okay; a hatbox would fit better.

The seats themselves are perfect, with an almost old-fashioned amount of padding that makes long drives in the Trofeo as comfortable as a couch nap, and the car’s sensible ride height means exiting is grunt-free. It was also a pleasant change from scrapey sports cars to be able to pull into gas stations and steep driveways without even thinking about the approach angle. Most of the interior layout is equally user-friendly. Although we worried about accidentally hitting the engine start/stop button on the steering wheel, that was never an issue. The 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster is clear and easy to navigate, as are the 12.3-inch infotainment screen and the digital climate controls below. The instrument display changes with drive-mode selection, and the center-mounted clock in the dash can switch to a compass or a g-meter in a clever melding of retro and modern.

Life’s been good to the Trofeo so far, but we do have some complaints. The shifter buttons, which divide the top screen from the climate-control screen, feel cheap, and most gear selections took at least two attempts. As the whole panel moves with any action, it’s hardly a feeling you want to experience more than necessary. Maserati’s driver-aid tech is a pricey add-on, and while we can live without lane-keeping assist and drowsy-driver warnings, modern features like adaptive cruise control and 360-degree cameras really shouldn’t be a $4500 option. With the Trofeo’s $191,995 base sticker and this car’s $212,615 as-tested price, we’d expect Maserati to throw in adaptive cruise and some better-feeling switchgear. But when it comes to the GT initials, the GranTurismo wears them well.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com