• Luxurious, leather-lined cabin ambience
• Two distinct interior themes to choose between
• Improvements followed 2016 facelift

It’s a great feeling getting behind the wheel of a powerful sports limo like this and the experience is made all the better (on the whole) by the attractive and ergonomically laid-out cabin.

The steering wheel is quite large in diameter; opt for the optional leather upgrade and it feels fantastic to hold.

Electrically operated seats allow you to sink down, enhancing the headspace in the front and giving the driving position a low-slung feel. Do this though and you’ll have to set the wheel quite high in order not to obscure the dials.

Elsewhere in the cabin there are a few disappointments, such as the quality of some of the switches (those on the wheel in particular) and the graphics on the sat-nav system, which are starting to look dated on earlier Quattroportes, especially in comparison with the competition.

In conjunction with the styling revisions and technology enhancements introduced in summer 2016, the multimedia system was significantly improved and enlarged, together with a rotary controller to supplement the touchscreen functions.

• Front seats are especially sumptuous
• Cabin relatively quiet despite engines’ bark
• Not as much rear-seat room as rivals

As a big limo this should be where the Quattroporte scores some serious points and we’re happy to report that it does – to a point.

While there’s plenty of space all around – especially in the back where passengers can enjoy enormous amounts of leg and head room – the ride doesn’t quite deliver the wafty experience you’d expect, especially on the larger 20-inch wheels.

It’s not uncomfortable, and certainly on motorway you won’t find much to complain about, but at lower speeds there’s a definite firmness to the set-up.

That’s true for the seats too, which offer a good level of support but feel hard. A lack of squashiness could be perceived as a negative point but we found the Maserati’s seats encouraged better posture and left us with less back ache than normal.

Double-glazed windows cut wind and road noise to a whisper and at cruising speeds there is barely a murmur from the engine either. It’s a genuinely lovely place to spend a journey.