A MID-LIFE facelift has given Maserati’s Ghibli sports sedan much-needed impetus as it takes on the mainly German opposition in the competitive but struggling large luxury car segment.

Apart from a styling tweak, the Ghibli has gained technologies and safety features that arguably should have been in the model when it was launched in 2014, bringing it closer to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series in this regard.

As a bonus, the jewel in the Ghibli crown, the bi-turbo V6-powered Ghibli S, has scored more power and torque, to get ahead of its most direct rival, the Mercedes-AMG E43, in straight-line wallop.

The question is: does the Ghibli S have the rest of the assets to edge out such esteemed company?