MASERATI GRANTURISMO

Latest coupé in a long line of Maserati GT cars hits the UK with V6 power

- ILLYA VERPRAET, MATT SAUNDERS

If there's one car that defines Maserati as a brand, it's the Granturismo. There have been saloons and supercars along the way, and of course the firm also sells SUVs now, but it has been making big luxury 2+2 coupés with a sporting edge for most of its history.

Although there hasn't been one enduring nameplate over the years (Maserati has used 3500GT, Sebring, Coupé etc), the model line is arguably to Maserati what the 911 is to Porsche. It's what you think of when you picture 'a Maserati", and the kind of car it needs to keep making and making well-to give legitimacy to its SUVs.

To ensure there's a future for the Maserati coupé, the Granturismo - like the Grecale SUV and MC20 supercar-has been engineered to be available with both a petrol engine and a fully electric powertrain.

The Folgore EV is certainly an interesting proposition, with its three-motor set-up and 800V architecture, and early drives have suggested it provides quite a compelling driving experience, so it's one we'll revisit when righthand-drive cars arrive in the UK, but for this road test we'll focus on the 542bhp V6 Trofeo.

DESIGN & ENGINEERING

PROS Classic four-seat GT shape; choice of powertrains

CONS Similar to, but not as pretty as, the old one

The outgoing Granturismo was launched all the way back in 2007 and clung on until 2019 on the strengths of its beautiful looks and spectacular V8 engine.

The naturally aspirated V8 couldn't survive into this more emissions-limited era, but even though it's a completely new car underneath, the styling is clearly an evolution of what went before, with a very long bonnet and a swoopy silhouette.