2023 Maserati Ghibli Performance

There are few other places to look if you're after a fast Italian executive, and the Ghibli is precisely that: quick. In base guise, the Ghibli is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 345 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. That's good enough for a 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds for this rear-wheel-drive model. Next up is the Modena, which packs more potent performance specs, with 424 hp from its twin-turbo V6 engine. This setup allows the Ghibli to make the sixty sprint in only 4.9 seconds and go on to a top speed of 178 mph. The Modena Q4 AWD version will run an even quicker 4.7 second time.

Maserati sources its V6 engines from Ferrari, which can only mean one thing: they've got soul. The base model's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 sounds brilliant when pushing all of its 345 hp to the tarmac, and while it might not be the strongest performer in its class, it still feels plucky around town and pulls hard on the top end. The more powerful V6 engine produces 424 hp and 428 lb-ft in the Modena variants and is the one to go for if you're power-hungry. In this configuration, the Ghibli feels like an actual performance vehicle and will push you back in your seat when provoked. All engines are mated to a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission, which manages to offer both relaxed or sporty shifting on demand. Power is sent to the rear wheels in all but the Q4 spec, which is AWD as standard.

The Ghibli's engines might be soulful, but they sure aren't very efficient, and competitors such as the BMW 5 Series beating it when it comes to gas-mileage figures. According to the EPA's official rating, both variants of the RWD 3.0-liter V6 will return 18/25/20 mpg city/highway/combined, and the AWD version will do 17/25/20 mpg. The 523-hp BMW M550i will match the consumption of the AWD Ghibli. The Ghibli's 21.1-gallon fuel tank should provide it with a maximum range of 422 miles.