550i Xdrive Gran Turismo 5 Series Gran Turismo Low Miles 4 Dr Automatic Gasoline on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Maserati Ghibli reportedly dies in 2023

When Maserati debuted the Ghibli sedan at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show, the executive tourer was meant to establish itself as a sporty alternative to the BMW 5 Series set and help Maserati increase its global sales eightfold. Neither of those happened. The product push didn't materialize, and the Ghibli failed at its task because it never managed to be the smooth, dynamically masterful Italian it could have been, its rough edges inexcusable in a sedan that once started at about $76,000 and is now nearly $80,000 after destination. Even so, we never wished the Ghibli ill, we wished Maserati would sort it out. That's not going to happen, according to Automotive News. The outlet's product page for the Ghibli says, "Production is expected to continue through 2022 on the sedan, which will not be replaced." Assuming this happens and the Ghibli takes a final ride into the sunset in 2023, it will have had ten years on the market. The model launched Maserati's electrification push, the Ghibli Hybrid and its 48-volt mild-hybrid system coming online last year but not for sale in the U.S. market. At the same time, the model finally acquired the raucous V8 one would have expected at launch or shortly after, in the guise of the Trofeo trim we do get.   Like all other automakers, though, Maserati has a huge to-do list over the next five years, and it can't coddle laggards. Last year, the automaker's product roadmap called for a pile of new and new-generation models. The MC20 flagship is out, the Grecale crossover is due early next year in ICE and battery-electric forms, followed by the new GranTurismo and GranCabrio with ICE and EV powertrains, plus the MC20 Spider and pure-electric MC20. In 2023, the new Quattroporte will return that nameplate's former glory as the only sedan in the lineup, followed by a new Levante, both with internal combustion and electric powertrains. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Maserati MC20 supercar plays in the snow

2017 Maserati Levante First Drive

You can argue all you want about whether or not certain companies should build crossovers. That's what the comments section is for. We'd argue that Maserati should have done it a long time ago, having shown its first crossover concept back in 2011 and only delivering on it now. Porsche blazed that trail with the Cayenne and others have followed suit since, racking up big sales. It's a little odd, then, that after waiting so long to get in the game, the Levante came together in just 22 months. Blame nationalism. The original plan was for the Levante to be based on and built in Detroit alongside the Jeep Grand Cherokee. That changed when Sergio Marchionne decided, in his dictatorial way, that all Maseratis and Alfa Romeos would be designed, engineered, and manufactured in Italy. So the team hit reset, borrowed the Ghibli platform, and went about creating a not-quite-a-crossover, taller-than-a-wagon hatchback with air suspension. Just shy of two years later, we're driving the Levante. In Italy, naturally. The dimensions and stance are what set the Levante apart from the abundance of luxury performance crossovers and emphasize its Italianness. It's longer, wider, and lower than a Porsche Cayenne or the Grand Cherokee it was nearly spawned from. The hood looks impossibly long in person because it is really long. The front end takes inspiration from the Alfieri concept, and there's a refreshing lack of mesh or filler between the grille's thin vertical slats. It can stand to be so open because there is a set of active grille shutters just behind to manage airflow. What would be usable cargo space on a blockier crossover is sacrificed by a rakish hatch, which looks pretty and we're told routes air in a particularly aerodynamic-friendly fashion. Instead of building the boxy version first, Maserati took the gamble and went straight to the fashionable coupe-ish shape. That foresight paid off, as it seems the coupe-like SUV trend is here to stay. For all the scrambling that must have gone on to produce this new model so quickly, it doesn't present like a rush job. Sure, most of the engineering was already done for the Ghibli and Quattroporte, but the Levante actually feels like a more complete effort than those cars. The attention to detail is most felt in the cabin, where the latest corporate infotainment system has been neatly integrated into familiar surroundings.

Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.