Maserati Ghibli vs BMW 7 Series

What's the difference?

The Maserati Trofeo Ghibli is a very strange beast, but there's no doubt that it is a beast. Fast, loud and capable on a race track, and yet still closely resembling a classy, expensive Italian family sedan, it is genuinely unique. And genuinely strange, in a good way.

While the new 7 Series won’t visually appeal to everyone, nor is it at the forefront of spirited driving dynamics, it’s hard to argue that it isn’t fit for purpose.

Its rear theatre screen and lounge layout might seem gimmicky at first, but it’s difficult to think of a more comfortable way to be transported on wheels short of putting a chassis under your loungeroom. Even then, you’d have to ask someone for a massage.

This is one of those cases where a car becoming larger isn’t such a bad thing, and BMW should feel like it’s achieved, seemingly, what it set out to do in building an electric limousine that doesn’t fall short in range or dynamics.

If BMW can bring this level of refinement down to its more affordable models, its electric future is looking promising.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

The Ghibli Trofeo is an alluringly beautiful car from just about every angle, with a genuine sense of occasion and presence about its nose, a sleek side profile and a much improved rear end, where the light clusters have been redesigned.

The Trofeo special touches are impossible to miss, particularly from the driver’s seat where you look straight into two vast nostrils on the bonnet. There are also carbon fibre pieces on the front air duct and the rear extractor for a sportier, wilder look.

The red details on the air vents on each side are the highlight, though, while the lightning bolt on the Maserati trident badge is another nice touch.

The interior is simply beyond special and feels even more expensive than it is. Overall, I’d say it again, it’’s alluring. Italian style at its best and the Ghibli is the Cinderella point in the range, because the Quattroporte big brother really is too large, and the Levante is an SUV.

BMW freely calls the new 7 Series “monolithic” in its press material, and it’s hard to argue. The seventh-generation of its luxo limo is bigger in every dimension, and with a higher bonnet and bootlid, the car is convincingly imposing even when parked. Even more so in black.

From the front, the 7 Series clearly has a new face compared to its predecessor, with split headlights now an indicator of BMW’s luxury oriented models - the incoming XM SUV features the same.

Its LED daytime running lights feature Swarovski crystals, while the grille surround illuminates while the vehicle is parked and on. It’s currently unable to be illuminated while driving to comply with Australia’s laws.

It’s perhaps less elegant and more aggressive than previous generations, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be those who approve. It’s certainly emotive, especially when compared to the side and rear of the car.

The side profile of the 7 requires quite a few steps back from the car to really take in - it’s almost 5.4 metres long - though it's hard to hide the size of a car that allows its rear passengers to almost lay down.

From the rear, the 7 Series is probably at its most uninspiring, which is a reverse from the interior where the front feels more minimalistic than some of its rivals like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

BMW has used crystalline geometric shapes throughout the cabin, and the front ‘interaction bar’ is perhaps the best example.

In keeping with the minimalism, its screen sits in an almost freestanding style out from the dash, with no physical buttons seen around it.

From the driver’s seat, the Trofeo Ghibli feels spacious indeed, and while it’s not as vast in the back as a Quattroporte, there’s plenty of room for two adults, or even three small children.

The move to throw sportiness at the Ghibli has led to it having firm but fabulous seats. They’re comfortable, and the leather is luscious, but the actual seat back is constantly letting your spine know that this is no ordinary Ghibli. 

Throw it around a track, though, and the seats feel just right, providing the kind of support you need.

Boot space is ample at 500 litres and the Ghibli feels like the sort of car you could take your family in, if only it didn’t make you feel like you were spoiling your children too much.

If the word ‘practicality’ brings to mind simplicity, the 7 Series might require you to have a bit of a mental reset. If it means plenty of space and a long list of elements to keep you comfortable, you’d be closer to the money.

While it’s visually restrained in some ways, the space accessible to the driver is thought out reasonably well, as you’d expect from a car costing more than a quarter-million.

The front seats certainly aren’t the main event, but the Merino leather and cashmere wool combination seats are far from uncomfortable, with the heating, cooling, and massage functions accessible from the central multimedia screen.

The controls for those, as well as functions like the climate control, are easily accessible, though could probably be even easier with a physical climate control panel. 

Controls for the individual vents, and even the glovebox are found along the BMW interaction bar, which can (frustratingly) reflect light thanks to its crystalline design, meaning it’s hard to see while driving on a sunny day.

Similarly, while the centre console where the main control dial for BMW’s 'iDrive' isn’t far removed from previous versions, it’s less tactile and requires a look sometimes to see what’s being pressed. Here, too, sunlight can reflect (this time off the dial) and make it more distracting.

Fortunately, the steering wheel controls remain physical buttons, and they’re laid out in a way that previous BMW owners or drivers will find familiar. 

The 7 Series also now leans more heavily on voice activation, so if the lack of physical climate controls or the multimedia screen is a little distracting, much can be achieved by actually asking the car with a “hey, BMW… ”.

There’s a large storage unit in the centre console, as well as two cupholders and a phone charging platform in front of the multimedia controls.

The rear seats, especially the one behind the front passenger, are where the 7 Series begins to feel its worth. If you’re buying one with the intention of being the driver 100 per cent of the time, you’re missing a trick.

The ability for the front passenger seat to shift forward and maximise legroom while the rear seat reclines into a lounge position is nothing new, limousine sedans have been able to do this for years, but the 7 Series takes it to another level.

Not only is there plenty of space for even the tallest of humans to stretch out, but the positioning and angle of the huge 31.3-inch theatre screen is great, even if it impedes the driver’s rear view, and the ability to use it as a touchscreen for some functions means less need for the handy but sometimes fiddly door-mounted control screen.

If you plan on playing games, the controls (and the fact you’re likely in a moving car) can make it a little difficult, but the small control panel is overall easy to use and well-placed.

The cushioned armrest that folds down in place of a middle passenger is comfortable, features a phone charging pad and pop-out cupholders, as well as a storage space under the armrest.

Finally, the boot space in the BMW 7 Series is far from small, with the electric i7 offering 500 litres (VDA) of space, while the 740i boasts 540 litres thanks to its lack of battery.

Given we’re in the realm of models where the price difference between two variants could pay for an entire new city car, what value means shifts a little bit.

The BMW 7 Series comes in two variants for the seventh generation, starting at $268,900 for the petrol-powered 740i, and $297,900 for the electric i7. 

Previously, it was possible to get into the BMW 740i for $198,900 after BMW lowered the price of the sixth generation car.

However, the new 7 Series is larger and has more packed into it, with both variants highly specified and mostly differing in price due to their drivetrains and some more minor creature comforts.

The 740i starts with an already impressive list of standard features, with 20-inch M alloy wheels, remote start, a tyre pressure monitor, rear-wheel steering, 'crystal' headlights and an illuminated grille surround, a panoramic glass roof, heated seats and a massage seat for the driver with Merino leather, a 20-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, as well the option to select the M Sport or M Sport Pro pack at no extra cost.

The more expensive i7 xDrive60 gains, on top of that, 21-inch wheels, active roll stabilisation, automatic opening and closing doors, multifunction seats with heating, cooling, and massage in the rear, plus a 39-speaker sound system and the impressive 31.3-inch theatre screen.

The i7 also comes with a BMW third-gen wallbox, home and public charging cables, and a five-year ChargeFox subscription. It also gains a six-year service package over the five included with the 740i.

If the i7’s extra features are tempting, but its drivetrain isn’t, 740i buyers can opt for a 'Connoisseur Lounge' pack for $27,900 which adds the auto doors, multifunction seats, rear theatre screen, and a 40-speaker sound system.

This will be the last time Maserati gets to enjoy a proper Ferrari engine - a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 good for 433kW and 730Nm - before it moves to a more electrified future, but it’s certainly going out with a lot of loud bangs.

Deafeningly lovely, the V8, which drives the rear wheels, will shove you to a shouty 100km/h in 4.3 seconds (fast, but not stupidly so, although it feels even quicker) on your way to a very Italian top speed of 326km/h. 

We can report that it exceeds 200km/h with consummate ease and has epic amounts of torque on tap.

The BMW 740i is powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder petrol engine, as is the way with many of BMW’s larger cars. It’s also a mild hybrid, incorporating a 48-volt electric starter/motor combination.

The 740i makes 280kW between 5200-6250rpm, and 520Nm between 1850-5000rpm, which is transferred to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The electric i7 xDrive60 is the flagship model, with its dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain good for 400kW and 745Nm, allowing for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds - 0.7s faster than the 740i.

Maserati claims a slightly inexact fuel-economy figure of 12.3 to 12.6 litres per 100km, but good luck ever achieving it. The desire to open the taps and really chew some fuel will aways be overwhelming. 

We drove it on a race track and would easily have been exceeding 20 litres per 100km, so our test figure is probably best not spoken about.

BMW Australia hasn’t yet specified local figures for fuel consumption or energy efficiency for either variant of the 7 Series at the time of our review, but the international specifications for both i7 xDrive60 and 740i give a relatively accurate guide.

BMW claims the electric i7 has a power consumption of between 19.6 and 18.4kWh/100km, which means its 101.7kWh battery allows a range of between 591 and 625km according to the brand.

It’s claimed to charge from 10 per cent to full in less than 5.5 hours with a 22kW AC wallbox, or in 34 minutes to reach 80 per cent using DC fast charging at 195kW.

The petrol powered 740i will use between 7.0 and 8.0 litres per 100km, according to BMW, which equates to between 183 and 159g/km of CO2.

We were fortunate enough to drive all three Trofeo models - Ghibli, Levante and Quattroporte - on the track at Sydney Motorsport Park, which really is the only way to fully appreciate vehicles with Ferrari V8 engines, 433kW and rear-wheel drive.

Maserati is keen to point out that other premium brands don’t offer that kind of grunt in their rear-drive cars, indeed most of them are going all-wheel drive, and that level of playfulness is a real USP, it believes.

The thing is, the company also acknowledges that its buyers are older, wiser and wealthier types moving up from the German brands. 

The Trofeo range, in particular, then, is a real niche within a niche. I picture Maserati buyers as being slightly sedate yet stylish. Fans of the nicer things in life, but not flashy, or thrashy, about the cars they drive.

And yet, unlike other Maseratis, the Trofeos are flame-spitting beasts that sound like Game of Thrones dragons. Clearly there are people who like their classy Italian saloons to be insanely fast and track ready. And hooray for them, because as weird as it seems to flog a car like this so hard, the Trofeo Ghibli was well and truly up for it.

It’s also the pick of the litter, being less SUV like than the SUV Levante, and less stupidly long and heavy than the Quattroporte. 

Its shorter wheelbase and lighter weight make it the most fun and light on its feet when being thrown around. We hit an easy 235km/h on the front straight before hurling into Turn One well north of 160km/h, and the Ghibli just held on tight before using its torque to hurl it at the next bend.

It sounds, as I’ve said, amazing, but it’s worth saying again because it’s a real Maserati (or Ferrari, really) advantage of choosing this car.

The brakes are also up to the task of repeated track-hard stops, the steering is lighter and less talkative than a Ferrari perhaps, but still excellent, and the whole Trofeo Ghibli experience is best described, on circuit, as being better than you would possibly imagine.

Out on the road, you don’t have to put up with the firm ride that pressing the Corsa button compels, and the Ghibli reverts to its smooth, cruiser persona - while still looking sporty as hell.

The only letdown is the seats, which are a little on the firm side, but everything else about the cabin is so luxe you almost forgive it. 

While this car makes no sense to me, it obviously excites enough people for Maserati to make a business case, and charge $265,000 for the Trofeo Ghibli. Good luck to them, I say.

BMW hopes for two things for the new 7 Series: one, that it’s the best car to be driven in, and two, that it’s the best car to drive.

While one of those things could be argued to be true, we suspect there are some engineers in BMW’s M department who would be frustrated at the thought of a more-than 2.6-tonne limo being called better to drive than a car half that size with a manual gearbox.

But, perhaps unsurprisingly, the BMW 7 Series is rather refined from the driver’s seat, especially on roads where the speed limit is high and the corners are long.

The two variants Australia has available, the i7 xDrive60 and the 740i, differ in their drivetrains as mentioned above, and the dynamics of each are slightly different. 

The all-wheel drive electric i7, despite its extra heft (the 740i is almost 600kg lighter) the EV feels more nimble thanks to its immediate torque delivery and higher outputs give it more flexibility in dynamic driving.

The lower centre of gravity, even with the extra weight, helps the electric i7 hold its own against the turbo six-powered 740i.

Both variants come standard with BMW’s rear-wheel steer system, or ‘Integral Active Steering’, which is vital to providing the agility needed for keeping the 7 Series in shape on tight roads, where it tightens the turning circle below 60km/h, though its 3215mm wheelbase does a lot to keep it feeling stable.

Above 60km/h, the rear-wheel steering improves stability further by turning slightly with the front wheels as opposed to against them, allowing for smoother flowing cornering and highway lane changes.

In either case, the 7 Series is easy to drive, with the steering able to be set to Comfort regardless of the drivetrain’s intensity (Sport and Comfort are the only options), which leaves the wheel feeling lighter.

The ride, whether from the front or the back, is impressive, even when being chauffeured through rough backroads. 

The 7 Series, despite not being engineered specifically for Australia’s sometimes shockingly pockmarked roads, manages to soak up impacts before they transfer from the tyre into the seats, and that goes for the sound and road noise, too.

Unfortunately, our launch test drive was hampered by some roadworks out of BMW’s control, so stay tuned for a more in-depth drive soon.

The new BMW 7 Series hasn’t been crash tested by ANCAP, nor does it seem likely it will be, given the small number that are likely to be sold here. 

But the car itself isn’t short on safety features, and BMW has a good recent history of scoring the maximum five stars for its cars.

The 7 Series features front and side airbags for driver and front passenger, curtain airbags for both front and rear seats, crash sensors, and a tyre pressure indicator.

Of course, the standards like active cruise, AEB, and sensors for collision warnings are all standard, plus BMW also offers active roll stabilisation as an option, which uses 48-volt motors to steady the car and account for the road surface and body roll through corners.

Maserati offers a three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, but you can choose to buy 12-month or two-year warranty extensions, and even a sixth or seventh-year drive-train warranty extension. 

When much, much cheaper Japanese and Korean cars are offering seven and even 10-year warranties, this is so far off the pace that such a fast vehicle should be embarrassed. And if you're buying something Italian, a better, longer warranty would seem like a must. I'd be negotiating at sale for them to throw the longer warranty offer in.

Maserati says servicing for the Ghibli has a "ball park costing of $2700.00 for the first three years of ownership" with a service schedule of every 20,000km or 12 months (whichever occurs first)

Also, "please note that the above is indicative only of the manufacturers basic routine service maintenance schedule and does not include any consumable items such as tyres, brakes etc or additional dealership charges such as environmental levies etc."

BMW offers a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty and that extends to both variants of the 7 Series.

BMW also offers servicing packs for its new cars, though the pricing for each group of models excluded the 7 and 8 Series and its M cars. 

Given the most expensive servicing pack listed is the BMW X7’s $2800 five-year, 80,000km pack, expect anything similar for the 7 Series to cost more.

In terms of when servicing is required, BMWs are condition-based, meaning the car’s own systems detect whether something like an oil change or part replacement is required, and provides that data to your BMW service centre to help calculate an estimate for work needed, ahead of time.