• Highly attractive cabin
• Supple top-quality leather
• New multimedia in 2017

Excitement should be a given in a low-slung, relatively lightweight coupe with a big engine. It is – and it comes with classic Italian flair in the Maserati GranTurismo.

Height and reach power adjustment for the steering is provided and both front seats are electrically adjustable, albeit with a bit of a stretch to reach the controls on the sides of the seats.

Supple leather and aluminium-coloured inlays are used throughout the sumptuous interior of the GranTurismo and it really feels a special place to sit.

Quality is good too and the tactile materials are a big improvement over previous Maserati cars. It’s a shame then that the sat-nav in early cars is borrowed from a Peugeot, but following 2017’s facelift this was improved by the introduction of an 8.4-inch touchscreen unit featuring the latest navigation technology.

It’s the same system as found in the Ghibli, Levante and Quattroporte models and has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.

Also following the 2017 facelift a 750-watt Harman/Kardon speaker system was fitted to all GranTurismos. This works well, but we thought its integration into the cabin wasn’t as neat as some other manufacturers manage – Mercedes-Benz and Audi in particular.

• Great mile-muncher
• MC cars firmer than Sport
• Comfortable front seats

This is a sporty grand tourer, so comfort is important, and Maserati has done a decent job here. The best combination in this regard, following the 2017 facelift at least, is the Sport on its softer and more compliant suspension.

We found MC cars to be noticeably firmer, so do take that into account when deciding which of the two models are for you. Sport cars don’t look anywhere near as sporty, strangely enough, and less road noise intrudes into the cabin too.

We were incredibly impressed by the quality of the front seats in particular, though. They’re very adjustable but crucially both supportive and comfortable.