TO THE initiated, no other brand can quite bring what the legendary Maserati trident represents in the luxury sports and sedan arena.

The car-maker is steeped in history that is impossible to synthesise, offering an appeal all of its own, but what about a more savvy buyer that is looking for more than just heritage?

In the luxury large sedan segment, the Italian car-maker offers the Quattroporte range which is capped by the mighty twin-turbo V8 GTS for a sniff under $350,000 before on-roads, a mid-range V6 S or a less powerful but more affordable entry-level V6 petrol and diesel — the petrol version being focus of this review.

At $215,000, the base Quattroporte now weighs in to a new class of large luxury options but how does it stack up against some established and seriously refined competitors?

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