Maserati Ghibli: Does It Still Have Its Italian Charm?

We love Maserati - from its Italian flair and automotive history right to the feel the name ‘Maserati’ gives to us, it has a special spot in our heart. Now we have a new Maserati Ghibli which the carmaker claims is ‘first of its kind’ - the Ghibli hybrid.

Let’s start with the exterior as that’s where you will find some blue accents which will help people in distinguishing between the hybrid (which is this one) and the standard Ghibli . The taillights are inspired by the 3200 GT model and Alfieri concept.

Coming inside, you will find leather on the dashboard, seats and alcantara on the roof. BUT, and this is a big but, there’s lots of plastics inside which make it look cheap. We think they should’ve made an effort to make it more luxurious.

Moving forward, a very good thing about the interior is the infotainment system which has all that you’d ever need and offers a nice user experience. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are a much welcomed addition for the infotainment. The piano black centre console is very practical with space for your stuff and wireless charging for your phone. Our favourite thing is the gear level which has the trident logo that makes it feel special every time you put your hand on it.

The two litre turbo petrol engine and a 48V motor which together produce 330 horsepower and 450 Nm of torque and these numbers are quite impressive. However, we are used to the V8 and V6 from Maserati which have lots of grunt and feel but this feels a bit numb in front of them. The two litre turbo kinda ruins the whole ‘Maserati’ experience, it failed to put a smile on ur face while driving.

Same with the exhaust, it's very quiet and is missing some crackles and pops that you get in most Maseratis. A thing we appreciate is the 8-speed auto ZF gearbox to which the hybrid system is mated. The gearbox is shared amongst the Stellantis group of carmakers and gets a big YES from us. This Ghibli hybrid features a mild hybrid system so it recharges the batteries using the kinetic energy you generate while braking the car.

Now, let’s get to the eye-watering part: the price. It’s priced at 309,000 AED which is fair according to us as its Maserati and that in itself has a great amount of status. Whenever you take it to a carpark or somewhere else outdoors, you just feel special. Would we buy one? Yes, we would!