Maserati Ghibli Sedan Named IIHS Top Safety Pick

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Nov. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety today named the all-new 2014 Maserati Ghibli a 2013 Top Safety Pick.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131126/NY24365 )

Heralding a new era of accessibility for the legendary Italian brand while maintaining the iconic Maserati pedigree, the highly anticipated Ghibli starting at just $65,600, has just begun deliveries to the vastly expanding Maserati retail network across North America. The Ghibli features a twin-turbo V6 produced by Ferrari with up to 404 HP, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and is available in either rear or Q4 all-wheel-drive. This four-door sedan with a coupe-like appearance embodies 'The Absolute Opposite of Ordinary' in the mid-size segment, effortlessly expressing performance, style and luxury which are the hallmarks of a Maserati. A sporty, youthful character, inspired design and premium materials differentiate the Ghibli as a thoroughbred one looks forward to driving every day.

Now the assurance of a 2013 IIHS Top Safety Pick further underlines the Ghibli's authority as a 'top pick' for sport sedan buyers.  

IIHS Top Safety Pick testing simulates a side impact with a large SUV or pickup truck, front moderate overlap impact, roof-crush consistent with a rollover, and a rear collision capable of inducing whiplash. In each, the Ghibli recorded the highest-possible rating of "good."

And, Maserati covers all the customer care benchmarks expected of a luxury manufacturer: a four year/ 50,000 mile warranty, road-side assistance, loaner car service and more. 

"The all-new 2014 Maserati Ghibli represents a break from the ordinary in the mid-size sedan segment," said Peter Grady, Maserati North America, Inc.'s President and Chief Executive Officer. "Luxury sport sedan drivers can now enjoy the style and performance expected of a Maserati, and the assurance of its status as a 2013 IIHS Top Safety Pick."

The New Ghibli is equipped with a seven-airbag system to help provide occupant protection.  At the front, two-stage airbags are concealed from the occupants inside the steering wheel and dashboard to help protect the head, face and chest in severe frontal accidents while a knee airbag helps protect the driver's legs and reduces the femur load in certain crash situations. The chest and hips of the front occupants are further protected by the side airbags beneath the seat leather.

The sides of the occupants' heads are further protected by two head "curtain" bags mounted in the roof of the car, next to the B-pillar. The "curtain" bags help protect the heads of the front and rear occupants against side impact.

The new Ghibli's passive safety equipment has been designed to help achieve both maximum peace of mind for its occupants and to achieve five stars on the Euro NCAP crash test regime and IIHS, all without compromising its weight or fuel consumption.

Maserati has balanced these conflicting demands by using hot-formed steel in critical areas of the passenger compartment for added occupant safety, while using aluminum in other areas to save weight. In particular, the front of the passenger compartment features hot-molded steel components, with a magnesium dashboard strut to reduce weight, while the rear is stiffened with high strength steel.

The crumple zone areas at the front and rear of the car are made of extruded aluminum, while the doors, engine compartment and luggage compartment are in aluminum. Maserati's engineers added a third load path to the front structure of the car to help dissipate load and distribute the forces on the car to help the stability of the body structure in frontal impacts.

About Maserati in North America:Maserati produces a full line of two and four door models legendary for their spacious handcrafted luxury, thoroughbred performance and everyday usability. In 2013, Maserati introduced an all new full-size Quattroporte and the mid-size Ghibli sport sedan. The flagship Quattroporte GTS leads the charge with a 523 HP twin turbo V8 while both the Ghibli and Quattroporte are available with All-Wheel-Drive, a competition bred twin-turbo 404 HP V6 and an adaptive 8 speed automatic transmission. The two door GranTurismo line continues with several variants of coupes and convertibles which combine elegance and comfort for four adults, with a six speed automatic transmission to keep the legendary Maserati performance and exhaust note close at hand. Maserati automobiles and merchandise can be found at authorized retailers across North America. Information on Maserati can be found at www.maserati.us, 1-800- My-Maserati.

SOURCE Maserati North America