2018 Maserati Ghibli is very easy on the eyes

The Italians are masters of the curve, and the Ghibli wears its Tricolore on its sleeve. 

Or, more accurately, on its side, where I'm taken with the strong character line sweeping up and over the rear fender while a second complimentary line slinks upward from the side skirt.

In Ghibli S trim, Maserati's 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 now puts out 424 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, improvements of 20 and 22, respectively, over last year.

In Ghibli S trim, Maserati's 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 now puts out 424 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, improvements of 20 and 22 respectively, over last year.

60 miles per hour arrives quickly enough, thanks in part to my tester's all-wheel drive, pushing its way there with plenty of torque and little turbo lag.

The GranSport trim carries paddle shifters, but they're mounted too close to the volume and channel controls on the back of the steering wheel itself.

The Maserati Ghibli S Q4 GranSport competes against other midsize-to-large luxury sedans like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the BMW 5 Series.

But the mid-level performance variants of both those cars, the AMG E43 and M550i xDrive, are $10,000 to $15,000 cheaper to start. 

Performance is about equal for all three cars, but I prefer the fit and finish of the Germans, even if Uconnect is the best infotainment option by a country mile.

Keep scrolling to check out even more pictures of the Ghibli, and don't forget to read our full review.