The sport sedan was once the top choice for enthusiasts that love to hit the twisties on a back country road, but also need space for a few other passengers. Today the sport sedan segment is often overlooked by the new flock of performance SUVs, which puts the future of the sport sedan segment in flux.
One good sport sedan is the 2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo with its stylish exterior and Ferrari-sourced V8 under the hood. Unfortunately we already know the Ghibli’s days are numbered, since Maserati has already confirmed that it will discontinue the Ghibli and in its place, the Quattroporte will be downsized a bit. Sedans are no longer in flavor, so it’s not surprising that Maserati is going to slim down its sedan lineup.
While we’re sad to see the Ghibli go, we can at least for now celebrate what it brings to the table. The “Trofeo” part of the name signifies that this special Ghibli is the sportiest version you can get as it rivals BMW’s M or the Mercedes-AMG division.
With the Trofeo badge you get a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8, which is built by Ferrari. The V8 is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends all the power to the rear wheels. With 580 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque on tap, the Ghibli Trofeo is quite the beast when you mash that pedal to the floor.
Once you power it up, you’re also greeted with an amazing soundtrack from the exhaust. On the road, the Ghibli Trofeo packs quite the punch to get you up to your desired speed with ease. The powertrain just keeps taking anything you can throw at it, making it a joy to drive. It’s especially satisfying in the Sport Corsa drive mode, which tightens up the suspension to make the Ghibli feel more planted to road and eager to tackle the twists and turns in the road ahead.
Our only gripe about the powertrain has to do with the transmission, which shifts abruptly. Sadly the lovely V8 won’t be sticking around much longer, since Maserati’s next sedan will only be electric.
The Ghibli Trofeo can accelerate from 0-60 mph in about four seconds and has a top speed of 203 mph.
Inside the Ghibli’s interior is a nice place to be with enough space for you the front passenger, but rear legroom is a bit short. The front sport seats hold your body tight, but they are also uber comfortable. At the center of the dashboard there’s a 10.1-inch touchscreen and the Ghibli Trofeo also gets a 15-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system, which sounds great. We do wish that some of the switchgear didn’t look and feel like it came straight out of the Stellantis parts bin, like the same window switches as a Jeep.
The pricing for the 2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo starts at $115,795.
At the end of the day, the Ghibli Trofeo is a fine grand tourer, with its comfortable ride, excellent and responsive powertrain and great handling.
