2020 Maserati Ghibli Performance

The base, rear-wheel-drive Ghibli is fitted with a sublime 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 producing 345 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, enough for a claimed 0-60 mph sprint time of 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 166 mph. It's decent but not spectacular performance - a base BMW 530i with a 2.0-liter turbo-four isn't much slower. For more power, go for the Ghibli S with its 424 hp and 428 lb-ft as it'll cut down the 0-60 mph time to 4.9 seconds and reach a maximum of 178 mph. The S Q4 has the same power outputs but with the added traction of all-wheel-drive, it will get to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. Overall, the Italian's performance won't bother BMW or Mercedes-Benz, but then again, this car is a lot more about how it makes you feel and less about on-paper statistics - in that regard, most buyers will love the manner in which the Ghibli's tuneful V6 does its job.

The Ghibli's engine is manufactured by Ferrari in Maranello, so the result is not just power and potent performance, but an engine with real soul. In the base Ghibli, outputs are 345 hp and 369 lb-ft, swelling to 424 hp and 428 lb-ft in the S variants. In both cases, the engine is paired with a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission.

Both engines sound magnificent, especially with the windows down so that you can fully enjoy the acoustics from the exhaust system. The lower-powered engine endows the Ghibli with adequate rather than remarkable performance. Around town, it's nicely civilized and at higher speeds passing power is strong. The more powerful V6 is a tangibly better performer, though, and provides the kind of zip you'd expect in a Maserati. Turbo lag is barely an issue and beyond 2,500 rpm, it's a joyous powerplant to exploit. The ZF eight-speeder seems to lack some urgency when you're in the mood to press on, but it's otherwise a decent companion to the V6.

The Ghibli's EPA-rated gas mileage numbers work out to 17/24/19 mpg city/highway/combined for the rear-wheel-drive variants. On a 21.1-gallon tankful of premium gasoline, a combined cruising range of approximately 400 miles should be on the cards. The all-wheel-drive version has the same combined cruising range but is estimated to return a marginally heavier 16 mpg in city driving.