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PRICE : For 2014 Masreati Ghibli $66550
As Maserati is about to have its hundredth anniversary, this historic marque is maturing into a volume manufacturer, and this third Ghibli figures prominently in that strategy. For 2014, this all new, small sedan from Maserati is poised to set a new standard for style among mid sized luxury sedans. It’s gorgeous, both inside and out, with striking looks that contrast the staid styling of the other cars in the segment...
It’s the first Maserati that will be produced in real numbers as its target is rightly fixed on popular luxury sedans. You know that segment, it’s the one where everyone buys a BMW 5-series or Mercedes Benz E-Class, or, if you’re the edgy kind of individual, you buy an Audi...
For my test drive, I evaluated the top model, the S Q4, which means that it makes a tick over four hundred horsepower (the S part) and has all wheel drive (the Q4 part). While it doesn’t have the perfectly rigid naming conventions as a German sedan, the Ghibli has performance and style in spades...
I don’t want to belabour the point, but there are some familiar Chrysler bits inside the Ghibli like the window switches and the effective infotainment system. To be fair, it’s all perfectly functional, which is all that matters because at the end of the day this car is a Maserati. The chassis shares much of its architecture with its Quattroporte big brother and the twin-turbo V6 engine is made by Ferrari. Yes, that Ferrari...
The 3.0-litre, turbo V6 completely defines the Ghibli’s performance. On tap is 404 horsepower and 406 foot-pound of torque from a pleasantly low 1,750 RPM. It’ll do zero to 100 kilometres per hour in a rapid 4.8 seconds and it tops out at a tick over 284 km/h. This is one Maserati that sadly won’t do 185. Occasionally from a stop there’s a bit of lag from the engine, but when you’re on the move, it’s never an issue, particularly with Sport mode engaged...
Perhaps the best mechanical feature is the brilliant eight-speed automatic from ZF. It shifts molto veloce, almost as quickly as the best dual clutch boxes. Plus, the engine’s exhaust note is perfectly rebellious among a sea of understated German sedans and the sounds that come from the exhaust each time you shift remind you – and those around you – that this is an Italian sports sedan. The superb transmission and the long, distinctive Maserati shift paddles encourage you to shift on your own...
The S Q4 tips the scales at 1,870 kilograms according to the manufacturer, and it feels lighter on its feet than that number suggests. Weight distribution is 51% front, 49% rear. During my all too brief test of this Ghibli, I came away very impressed with the quick steering and the well balanced chassis. Like the greatest sport sedans, the Ghibli is a remarkably good compromise between all out performance and comfort...
The interior is both simple and gorgeous at the same time. The design and level of finish is purely Italian and it’s a warm and welcoming cabin. Materials are luxurious to the touch and the interior shapes are more curvaceous than angular. The number of buttons and dials for secondary controls is thankfully abbreviated, leaving the cabin remarkably uncluttered for an Italian car. If there is anything lacking, it’s space for passengers in the rear seats, which are better suited for transporting children than adults...
In Canada, the Ghibli starts at $75,800 and this S Q4 is $87,200, and sure that may be a little more than a comparably equipped German sedan, but it’s also the price a lot of people are willing to pay for a little exclusivity and authentic Italian flair. Overall, the Ghibli is a welcome and wonderful Italian interpretation of the mid sized luxury sedan...
EXTERIOR
The outline of the body reflects a coupe-like philosophy for the four-door saloon, while there are strong feline hints around the Ghibli's grille and headlights. The dominating grille takes its inspiration from the current GranTurismo and it can draw a line back to the classic A6 GCS of the 1950s...
It also maintains Maserati's distinctive C-pillar treatment, which delivers much of the stunning coupe-like stance and carries the classical Saetta Maserati logo, carrying on a tradition dating back to 1963. It is gloss black in colour and its variable cross section contrasts with both the satin chrome surrounding it and the Trident symbol at its centre...
The grille design is accentuated by the flow of the front quarter panels, which emphasise the shape of the engine compartment lid, then run into the headlights at the front. The shape of the headlights converges onto the Trident symbol, with every angle designed to attract the eye to Maserati's legendary badge...
The side profile is dominated by a swage line that runs from the traditional Maserati grille vents behind the front wheels and finishes in the rear lights themselves...
With its long wheelbase, total length and wide tracks, the Ghibli comes together as one of the sportiest and most elegant looking cars in the E-segment...
The Maserati Ghibli's body and underbody design fulfils the sporty promise of its looks, with a low drag coefficient of 0.31 to keep fuel consumption low and increase stability at the high speeds that, of the E-segment category, only the Ghibli is capable of...
INTERIOR
Its layout provides the standard fine Poltrona Frau leather finish that is the envy of the rest of the premium and luxury contenders. Uniquely, it combines this with the ability to choose two leather trims for the dashboard...
The interior of the new Ghibli unites refined, clean styling with high technology and a timeless sporting character...
Even with its aggressive, coupe-like silhouette, the Ghibli manages to deliver typical executive saloon rear head room without the compromises people have to accept in other coupe-like premium saloons...
The clever interior packaging has also allowed Maserati to deliver split folding rear seatsthat fold at 40% and 500 litres of luggage capacity, along with a spacious centre console compartment, large door pockets and a large and ventilated glovebox...
The standard driver's seat delivers six-way electronic adjustment and leather trim, while Maserati also offers two higher levels of leather trim as options...
The Maserati Ghibli S models use an even more supportive seat with eight-way electric adjustment, while there is an optional electric adjustment system to move the pedal box up and down. The drivers preferred seat, lumbar and mirror settings can all be saved, then recalled at the touch of a single button...
A large central tunnel splits the front seats and contains two cup holders as well as a 12V power socket, while its console houses a compartment for mobile phones as well as USB and Aux-in connections for external devices...
The longitudinally split console lid doubles as the armrest for the front occupants, with each half springing open to reveal two additional cup holders and another 12 Volt power socket. (There are additional 12 Volt power sockets alongside the gear shifter, in the rear armrest and in the luggage area.) The console also has its own air vent to allow the air conditioning to cool its contents...
The Ghibli's rear seats are similarly plush, with the two outer seats particularly designed for lasting comfort as well as strong lateral support and are equipped with ISOFIX fittings to securely anchor child seats...
The seats have a foldable central armrest, which doubles as a fifth seat when necessary and houses two cup holders and a storage box...
"The interior design achieves elegant simplicity, with clean lines and user-friendly instrumentation," Mr Ramaciotti said...
"The functional features are camouflaged to allow the attention to focus on the soft curvaceous surfaces of the dashboard and the central tunnel," he said...
Like all Maseratis, the Ghibli's interior is built around a driver interface that is intuitive and simple to use. The instrument cluster features a large speedometer and a large tachometer that flank a 7" TFT display for many of the car's operational features...
Many of the vehicle's settings are oriented towards the driver and are controlled with the buttons alongside the gear shifter, while other on-board settings can be set by the driver via the Maserati Touch Control (MTC) at the centre of the dashboard...
The Maserati Ghibli S standard equipment includes leather seats, wood trim, eight-way electrically adjustable front seats , dual-zone climate controlled air conditioning and active cruise control, with Bi-Xenon Adaptive Front Headlights System, and fixed braking callipers...
Maserati also provides an exceptional degree of personalisation with a vast range of materials for the client to choose from, including wood, carbon fibre, leather, Alcantara ceiling and numerous optional choices...
SPECIFICATION
► Make:Maserati
► Model:Ghibli
► Engine:V6
► TransmissionEight-Speed Automatic
► Horsepower @ RPM:410 @ 5500
► MPG(Hwy):29
► Torque @ RPM:405 @ 1750
► Displacement:3.0 L
► 0-60 time:5 sec.
► Top Speed:177 mph (Est.)
BODY
Based around a rigid and extremely secure steel safety cell, it uses an array of different steel and aluminium alloys, each designated a precise task to maximise strength, minimise weight and retains the sports saloon's perfect 50 : 50 weight distribution in its rear-drive models...
The front of the chassis is based around an aluminium casting, with a reinforced cross-strut which helps deliver outstanding rigidity in all directions, while the rear of the chassis is made from rolled steel...
The choice of aluminium for the bulk of the Maserati Ghibli's body panels was based around the delivery of the maximum possible occupant safety for the lowest possible weight. Accordingly, all four doors and the bonnet hood are all made from aluminium...
Along with the freedom it allowed Maserati's designers, the choice of aluminium has also had a positive impact on reducing weight, reducing its fuel consumption and lowering its emission...
Other exotic materials are also used in the Ghibli's body, including ultra-light weight magnesium, which is used in the dashboard's cross strut...
HEADLIGHTS & TAIL LIGHTS
► HEADLIGHT :
Each headlight includes LED daytime running lights, with a light shape that provides instant recognisability in both day and night running. Each light also contains direction indicators, LED side position lights and a side reflector...
With a video camera mounted in front of the rear-view mirror, the lighting system offers a beam control specifically for motorway driving which increases the depth of the light beam without the need for manual high beam activation...
Sensors monitor the driving style and speed and if the road is clear, the beam depth offers the greatest depth and width, combined with the directional rotation of the headlights themselves...
In addition, there are four different automatic lighting setups: for city driving, for motorway conditions, for low visibility and for driving on the opposite side of the road in applicable countries. Each of these modes automatically activates a strategy to best illuminate the road surface...
The Town Beam turns on below 45km/h and sets the beam wider and shallower, giving a better view for turning and for peripheral danger zones while causing minimum disturbance for fellow road users...
There is also a Rain Beam, which begins when the windscreen wipers operate. The individual beams are set to different levels to minimise reflections, while the outer beams are set wider and higher to make the Maserati Ghibli more visible to other road users...
Note: In the USA and Canada, cars are not equipped with the AFS function. They retain the automatic depth and rotation control functions. The beam rotation function and the four AFS functions may be deactivated via the menu in the European Union, while in the USA, only the beam rotation function may be deactivated in this way...
► TAIL LIGHTS :
While the Ghibli and the Ghibli Diesel get standard bi-xenon headlights, the Ghibli S adds an Automatic Front Lighting System (AFS, available as option also on Ghibli and Ghibli Diesel), which actively adjusts the headlight depth to combine an outstanding view of the road with very low glare for oncoming traffic. The bi-xenon headlights combine technology and style, with all of its secondary functions entirely provided by LED...
Each headlight includes LED daytime running lights, with a light shape that provides instant recognisability in both day and night running. Each light also contains direction indicators, LED side position lights and a side reflector...
With a video camera mounted in front of the rear-view mirror, the lighting system offers a beam control specifically for motorway driving which increases the depth of the light beam without the need for manual high beam activation..
Sensors monitor the driving style and speed and if the road is clear, the beam depth offers the greatest depth and width, combined with the directional rotation of the headlights themselves...
In addition, there are four different automatic lighting setups: for city driving, for motorway conditions, for low visibility and for driving on the opposite side of the road in applicable countries. Each of these modes automatically activates a strategy to best illuminate the road surface...
The Town Beam turns on below 45km/h and sets the beam wider and shallower, giving a better view for turning and for peripheral danger zones while causing minimum disturbance for fellow road users...
There is also a Rain Beam, which begins when the windscreen wipers operate. The individual beams are set to different levels to minimise reflections, while the outer beams are set wider and higher to make the Maserati Ghibli more visible to other road users...
Note: In the USA and Canada, cars are not equipped with the AFS function. They retain the automatic depth and rotation control functions. The beam rotation function and the four AFS functions may be deactivated via the menu in the European Union, while in the USA, only the beam rotation function may be deactivated in this way...
AUDIO
Above this is the optional Bowers & Wilkins Premium Surround Sound system, with 15 speakers, a 1280 Watt amplifier and a perfect configuration of the QuantumLogic™ Surround Sound required long and very demanding sound engineering studies...
The result is a system that perfectly reproduces every nuance of the sound, with a dynamic purity at the highest level, for total realism and delivers a completely new level of music enjoyment on the road...
As the QuantumLogic™ Surround Sound system processes each track; individual elements of the track, including musical instruments, voices and the interior's reverb, are identified, separated and processed into a surround sound field which is exceptionally realistic and precise and gives a crystalline, perfectly defined audio image...
It features a central 100 mm Kevlar cone for midrange sound and three 25 mm tweeters at the centre and sides of the dashboard. The front doors house a 165 mm woofer and 100 mm Kevlar cone midrange speaker, while the rear doors each carry a 165 mm Kevlar woofer and 25 mm tweeter. The rear shelf has two 100 mm Kevlar midranges and a 350 x 200 mm subwoofer...
CHASSIS
Like the Quattroporte, its chassis design is based around a rigid and extremely secure steel safety cell that employs an array of different steel and aluminium alloys to deliver precise strengths and minimal weight...
The front of its chassis is based around an aluminium casting with a reinforced cross-strut which helps deliver outstanding rigidity in all directions, while the rear of the chassis is made from rolled steel...
TRANSMISSION
The transmission delivers in every parameter, from comfort to fast gear shifting, and from minimised fuel consumption to low NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness)....
As befitting Maserati tradition, it is capable of being in five dedicated shift modes: Auto Normal, Auto Sport, Manual Normal, Manual Sport and the extreme weather I.C.E mode...
Auto Normal is the Ghibli 's default setting and performs its gear changes with fluid shifts at low engine speeds to emphasise the car's comfort and to minimise fuel consumption...
The Auto Sport mode sees the transmission switch character to change gears with greater alacrity at higher engine speeds and deliver a distinct gear engagement to enhance the powertrain's sporting feel...
In both of these modes, the car recognises a variety of conditions, such as whether the car is travelling up or down hill, is braking hard or is driving through a corner, and selects the best gear and the best gear-shift style accordingly...
The transmission can also be controlled manually by selecting the M button on the transmission tunnel...
In Manual Normal mode, the driver can change gear with either the elongated gearshift paddles attached to the steering column or by using the transmission lever. The driver is in charge of the gear selection, though the system will intervene and change to a lower gear if the engine revs drop too low, or change to a higher gear if the engine revs climb too high...
In Manual Sport mode, however, the gearshifts are at their fastest and crispest, giving the driver full control of the powertrain. The system will not intervene, even if the driver strikes the engine's rev limiter. It will only intervene if the engine's revs drop too low to be effective in a given gear...
The I.C.E (Increased Control Efficiency) mode is designed for remarkable fuel economy, relaxed driving and extremely low grip conditions. The transmission changes gear as softly as possible, both going up through the gears and returning back down...
All gearshift modes can be selected via buttons on the left of the gear knob...
EXHAUST
In the default Normal mode, the bypass valves are closed to give a comfortable and discreet engine sound, which emerges through four sport exhaust tips...
In Sport mode, not only does the car adjust a variety of handling parameters, but also the exhaust valves are opened, giving the shortest possible, high-energy route for the exhaust gases, which gives the Ghibli its maximum engine performance and the unique Maserati engine sound...
ENGINE
They are being produced in the Ferrari plant in Maranello that is famous for its 60 years of passion and cutting-edge technology...
This new generation of Maserati engines is more powerful, more exciting to drive and more eco-friendly than ever...
The Maserati Ghibli will be available with two versions of its twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine...
The most powerful of the V6 petrol engines will be fitted to the rear-wheel drive Ghibli S. This engine produces 301 kW (410hp) of power at 5500 rpm and 550 Nm of torque from just 1750 rpm...
The Ghibli S will reach 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds. It has a quoted top speed of 285 km/h (177mph)...
The more affordable V6 petrol engine variant not only has an impressive 243 kW (330 hp) of power and 500 Nm of torque, but also delivers a combined fuel economy figure of just 9.6 litres/100km (29.4mpg). It is much more than a fuel saving car, though, and is capable of accelerating to 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds...
The Maserati Ghibli Diesel becomes the first car in Maserati's near-100 year history to use a diesel power unit. In keeping with Maserati traditions, it is the most powerful single-turbo 3-litre engine on the market with its 275 Hp and 600 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm...
It is capable of sprinting to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and hitting a top speed of 250 km/h (155mph), even though it emits just 158 grams of CO2/km and uses just 5.9 litres/100 km (47.8mpg) on the NEDC combined cycle...
In another first for the Maserati brand, all Ghibli models will have an Active Speed Limiter function as standard equipment. Activated (and deactivated) via a button on the steering wheel, the Active Speed Limiter function lets the driver set a maximum speed for the car, which can be over-ridden by pushing the accelerator pedal through the "kick down"...
SUSPENSION
Utilising a suspension layout and software system that has already proven a hit in the Quattroporte, the Ghibli has high-mounted all-aluminium double wishbones at the front to guarantee light and precise handling characteristics...
Aluminium is the dominant metal of the front suspension system, with the dome nuts, the hub carrier bars and uprights all made from forged aluminium, while the springs are steel. This matches up to constantly adaptive Skyhook dampers and an anti-roll bar...
The geometry of the system has delivered a quadrilateral architecture, which has enabled Maserati's handling team to deliver steering that is precise, communicative and comfortable...
The rear suspension employs a firmer version of the Quattroporte's five-bar multi-link system, with four aluminium suspension arms, and has achieved the conflicting targets of executive ride comfort and extreme sports performance....
The Ghibli's suspension package is based around a fixed rate damping system to control the movement of its steel springs and anti-roll bars...
All Ghiblis are available with the option of the Skyhook adaptive damping system, where all four Skyhook dampers can now be electronically controlled independent of each other. This is a variation of the Quattroporte's standard system, though its performance and tuning has been heavily modified to cater for the Maserati Ghibli's more dynamic ethos...
The default mode for the optional Skyhook system prioritises comfort, and then becomes more athletic if the driver presses the suspension button. This extra damping stiffness pushes the Ghibli's handling to even higher levels and its tune was developed in both extreme test scenarios and on the racetrack. Essentially, it drastically reduces both longitudinal and lateral load transfers and minimises body roll to bring out the sportiest side of the car's character...
The computer system in control of the Skyhook dampers monitors an enormous array of parameters, including speed and lateral and longitudinal acceleration, individual wheel movements, body movement and damper dynamics...
Adjusting also to suit the suspension mode chosen by the driver, the system delivers the perfect damping mode for each wheel almost instantly...
Late this year, the Ghibli Diesel will be available with the option of a Sports suspension setup, which will be based around the fixed damping system rather than the optional Skyhook system...
While the architecture of the Sport suspension is unchanged, it lowers the ride height by 10 mm and uses stiffer springs and firmer, dual-rate Koni dampers that adjust to varying conditions. This is available only on these two models to counteract their slightly heavier front weight distribution (51 : 49)...
WHEELS
Featuring 18-inch rims as standard equipment, the Ghibli is also available with 19", 20" or 21-inch rims as well...
While the 18'' 19" and 20" alloys are crafted from flow-forming technology that reduces the core thickness of the wheels and prioritises light weight without sacrificing stiffness and strength...
The 21" rim is a forged alloy wheel, which also emphasises light weight and is no heavier than the 20" rim...
All the Maserati Ghibli's rims have been designed and engineered to enhance both the visual design of the body and to lower the unsprung masses to improve grip and handling...
The 18'' wheel rims, a 12 spoke-design, ensure a dynamic effect...
On the Ghibli and Ghibli Diesel versions they have the same 235/50 size for front and rear...
On Ghibli S they get staggered size with 235/50 at the front and 275/45 at the rear...
The 19" wheel, with its 245/45 front and 275/40 rear tyres, is geared towards reduced fuel consumption combined with low road noise and long, comfortable journeys...
The 20" wheel, with a 245/40 front tyre and a 285/35 rear tyre, is the perfect compromise between sports and comfort, while the 21" wheel, with a 245/35 front and 285/30 rear tyre combination, is focused on sports handling...
All four wheel sizes are available with Pirelli, Dunlop and Continental tyres. All wheels can be fitted with winter tyres...
The Ghibli also continuously monitors its tyre pressure with a sensor mounted inside the rim, as part of the valve. The pressure can be read off the display on the dashboard. If a tyre punctures or its pressure changes, the system notifies the driver with visual and acoustic warnings...
CRUISE CONTROL & SPEED LIMITER
An active cruise control system is standard on the new Ghibli. The controls for this system are mounted on the steering wheel and the speed is displayed on the instrument panel display. The cruise control is active: when driving up or downhill, the car accelerates or decelerates on descents to maintain the speed setting...
A new addition to this system is the Active Speed Limiter function, which allows drivers to set a maximum speed to prevent accidental over speeding...
Activated and deactivated via button on the steering wheel, the system is simple to use and can be over-ridden by the driver in urgent situations by pushing the accelerator pedal through its "kick down"...
BRAKES
Maserati has continued its long association with Brembo on the new Ghibli and all models feature fixed-caliper braking technology...
The brakes on the Ghibli S models are 360 mm x 32 mm ventilated and cross-drilled Dual Cast brake discs and six-piston fixed alloy Brembo calipers on the front axle. It carries over the Quattroporte's four-piston, fixed alloy Brembo rear brake caliper...
Its brake discs continue with the Dual Cast technology pioneered by Maserati. This technology allows the weight of the cast-iron braking surface area to be offset with an alloy hat to minimise unsprung mass and the Ghibli S utilises this to stop from 100 km/h in just 36 metres...
These brakes have a large swept area, highly efficient cooling, are designed for consistent performance in sports driving situations and are oversized for the demands created by even the new Quattroporte's extremely high performance potential...
With slightly less engine power, the Maserati Ghibli and the Ghibli diesel employ smaller 345 mm x 28 mm front brake discs with four-piston fixed calipers on the front axle and 320 mm x 22 mm discs with floating calipers at the rear. The smaller brakes don't compromise its stopping power, though. Like the faster Ghibli S, the Ghibli and Ghibli Diesel both stop from 100 km/h in 36 metres...
But high-performance stopping power is only one measure of overall braking performance and the collaboration with Brembo also concentrated on evolving the acoustic comfort of the Ghibli 's braking systems. As befitting the rest of the Ghibli story, the braking development reconciled the seemingly opposing goals of pure performance and pure comfort...
The Maserati Ghibli also uses an electronic parking brake, which operates on all four wheels. The ergonomically placed button on the gear lever bezel activates the brake when the car is at rest...
However, it can also act as a safety device when driving. In this case the system communicates with the stability control ECU and decelerates the car at 0.5g in full safety until released...
The brakes also operate as part of the Ghibli's automatic hill starting system. The on-board sensors detect the vehicle's tilt when parked facing uphill, then lock the brakes for a few seconds; this gives the driver's foot time to move from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal without the vehicle rolling back...
Besides being effectively strong, Maserati brake calipers have also always added a significant stylistic effect...
This continues with the Ghibli, with the front and rear brake calipers available in the standard classic black form, with the Maserati name in white...
These are also available in the aggressively sporting red colour, Maserati blue to lend an air of elegance, luminous silver grey...
QUALITY
The programs for the new Quattroporte and Ghibli ushered in a new era of extreme quality at Maserati...
This push starts from the ground up, with a complete refurbishment of its factory near Torino and continues all the way through to testing every single Ghibli as it emerges from the production line...
It also came to the fore during the development of the Ghibli, with an intensive reliability program that included:
► More than six million test kilometres with a fleet of more than 90 Ghiblis
► Hundreds of thousands of additional test kilometres to validate any upgrades
► Testing in extreme heat in South Africa and Morocco
► Testing in extreme cold in Sweden and New Zealand
► Testing every single component for endurance, quality and noise
► Severe process control, including four in Body-in-White, three in painting, four in the assembly process, plus additional electronics, dynamometer and water testing
► A total of more than 700 control checks for each car in production
► Every finished Maserati Ghibli has a final, 30-minute quality audit before being delivered to the customer
► Every finished Maserati Ghibli is tested on-road for 60 km before it is delivered to the customer.
STEERING
The Ghibli uses an all-new aluminium steering box, developed specifically for the new front-suspension geometry it shares with the Quattroporte with the goal being to deliver more feedback to the driver, more consistency at high speed and easy manoeuvring at low speed...
This allowed Maserati's suspension engineers to deliver extreme precision combined with the steering sensitivity needed for turning into corners at high speeds...
It also has a reduced steering ratio, which delivers an agility that is rare for this class of limousine and while it is comfortable in all situations, the steering feel is geared up towards driving enjoyment...
For reasons related to customer demand, Maserati has bypassed the trend to electro-hydraulic steering systems. The Maserati Ghibli employs a speed-sensitive, servo-powered hydraulic system that prevents unpleasantly artificial assistance when the driver turns the wheel quickly...
SAFETY
The new Ghibli's passive safety equipment has been designed to achieve both maximum peace of mind for its occupants and to achieve five stars on the Euro NCAP crash test regime, all without compromising its weight or fuel consumption...
Maserati has balanced these conflicting demands by using hot-formed steels in critical areas of the passenger compartment for added occupant safety, while using aluminium in other areas to save weight...
In particular, the front of the passenger compartment (the pillars and under-door mouldings) features hot-moulded steel components, with a magnesium dashboard strut to save weight, while the rear is stiffened with high strength steel...
The crash bars at the front and rear of the car are made of extruded aluminium, while the doors, engine compartment, mudguards and luggage compartment are in aluminium...
Maserati's engineers added a third crash load path to the front structure of the car to help dissipate load and distribute the forces on the car to guarantee the stability of the body structure in frontal impacts...
The US versions contain a roof reinforcement to account for US NCAP's particular roof crush and lateral impact tests and the car also has reinforcements added to it rear longitudinal beams to comply with the US rear impact standard...
The New Ghibli is equipped with a seven-airbag system and anti-whiplash front headrest to provide maximum occupant safety...
VIDEO ( 2014 MASERATI GHIBLI )
FOR FULL IMAGES...CLICK HERE >>> View Photo Gallery
By : Automotive News & Super Modified Sports Cars
= Shahen Tharammal
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