The Maserati Quattroporte S, a revised version of the carmaker’s flagship luxury sports saloon, makes its much-anticipated North American debut at the L.A. Auto Show. The North American market is the largest one for Maserati, with one out of three cars sold in the US. Los Angeles and Southern California are the top sales areas in the United States for the company. Although no one would want to tinker too much with its striking, Pininfarina-penned lines, the beauty has received a facelift, including vertical slats on the imposing grille and larger, LED lights front and rear, as well as subtly revised bumpers and more streamlined door mirrors. The opulent interior features a new center console, more cossetting seats and a grippier steering wheel, while the major functions have been arranged closer together for ease of operation. The sat-nav and Bose audio system are uprgraded, too, while there are also several new wood trims and more shades of Maserati’s sumptuous Poltrona Frau leather. It has a further development of Maserati’s Skyhook suspension system, featuring electronically controlled, continuously adjustable damping, with new damper settings, springs and valves to refine suspension response. The engine is similar to that used in the recently launched GranTurismo S coupe, meaning it now displaces 4.7 liters and develops 430bhp at 7,000rpm and 362lb ft of torque at 4,750rpm, driving the rear wheels via a ZF six-speed automatic transmission. The Quattroporte S has a top speed of 174mph and accelerates from 0-62mph in 5.4sec. Its official EU Urban fuel consumption is 11.8mpg, with CO2 emissions of 365g/km. The ‘normal’ Quattroporte, with a 400bhp, 4.2-litre V8, gains many of the revisions and costs £79,000.
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