A more approachable Maserati which doesn’t cost the earth to acquire or run? Is it a dream come true or a dream one would wish stayed just that? Let’s find out.
Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Newspress
Luciano Pavarotti wasn’t known for his heavy metal. No. Not that he ever performed with three guitars and a double-bass drum-kit giving him company, but he was a classic Italian tenor and he always enthralled his audience. True, not everyone appreciates a good old Italian tenor, but those who do stay astounded in the magnificence and the stirring of emotions. There’s no replacement. There can be no other way. But what if, due to changing seasons, there was? What if Signor Pavarotti decided to give in to pop culture? Maybe not a Bieber or a Swift, just a twist in the tale? What about more twists in the tail than ever before? What if Maserati created a diesel?
Not only are most (all right, all) Maseratis before the Ghibli exotic, packing screaming, rev-happy petrol V8s, they are also more performance-oriented than ever. To deliver that Italian passion, flair and panache to the driver. To stir their senses and invoke the inner-child racing-driver within. They do that very well. However, not all the world wants that. I know, it’s shocking, isn’t it? Some just want a beautiful car which grabs attention but is inexpensive to attain and even burns oil rather than a hole in the pocket. The time has come then for Maserati to accept that their sales will only improve with a more affordable diesel. Yes, they did it. And I can’t blame them. In fact, I don’t. Diesel makes the world go round these days and a torquey engine in a magnificent-looking car isn’t the end of the world. It’s the order of the day.
The executive luxury segment just got a stonking new addition. True, it’s still priced higher than many, but it also has its fair share of competition. How do the Mercedes E350 CDI or the BMW 530d or the Jaguar XF Diesel S or the incoming Infiniti Q70 30d sound? That’s what the arena looks like. That’s the competition for the Ghibli Diesel. Resurrecting the classic name, this Ghibli has two extra doors, and is still a beautiful car with a hint of aggression. The front is dominated by that big grille proudly bearing the trident logo, flanked by the shapely headlamp clusters and a rather long bonnet. The curves are evident even head-on, and the Ghibli wears them just as well as any of its more powerful siblings. The shape is unlike anything in the segment. It fits. And it brings the flair which thus far seems to have been missing from the segment. The thing is, until now, we wouldn’t have known.
