5 things you need to know about the 2018 Maserati Ghibli

[MUSIC] Automotive Italophilia is a real affliction. And one of the few cures for it is this, the 2018 Maserati Ghibli. Here's five things you need to know about this newly refreshed entry level Maserati. [MUSIC] The Italians are masters of the curve and that is definitely evident here on the Gibley where every body line, and there are a few of them, flow together quite nicely. Updates for the 2018 model year include a new set of LED headlights and on this grand Sport trim, a sportier front bumper than you would find on the more luxurious GranLusso trim. This specific tester Ghibli offers a visual delight inside by way of a two-tone leather interior. And the front leather seats both look and feel every bit as premium as the price belies. However, out back, the small doors make [UNKNOWN] and [UNKNOWN] tougher and in terms of general fit and finish, it feels like it lags behind it's German competition if, only a bit. The Gibly's top engine is a 3L, V6 that puts out 424 horsepower and 428 feet of torque. Improvement of 20 and 22, respectively, over last year. Now in normal mode, this engine sounds surprisingly sedate for something coming from Ferrari's factory. [SOUND] But if you slap this bad boy into sport mode, well, it gives the 3 liter V6 the throaty growl that the Gibley deserves. [SOUND] The Gibley's eight speed automatic transmission is more than happy to rattle off up shift and some vocal down shifts both quickly and smoothly. The ride airs towards the stiff, sporty side, so don't go into this expecting kind of a luxo barge, pillow soft ride or anything like that. And new for 2018 is an electric power steering system that gives some pretty good weight to a car Car with some surprisingly decent handling jobs. Standard tech includes a reskinned version of Fiat Chrysler's outstanding uConnect infotainment system and while it has a different name here, it works has good as ever. For 2018 Maserati also added a number of new safety systems including both the adaptive cruise control and land keep assessment. On the other hand, there is some good standard safety equipment too including the blind spot monitoring and parking sensors. With a base price around $75,000 and as an as tested price knocking on the door of almost a hundred grand it gets kind of tough to recommend the Ghibli in the face of some sprightlier, tech friendlier German competition. But if you absolutely must sing the body Italian Well, the Ghibli ain't too shabby. Looks pretty good. It drives pretty comfortably. And it has better tech than its Italian sibling, Alfa Romeo. Just don't let your gym subscription lapse. This key fob's kinda heavy. [MUSIC] [BLANK_AUDIO]