Maserati’s GranCabrio made waves when the company revealed the heavily revamped version a few years ago. The model shared its core formula with the GranTurismo coupe but the folding top transformed it into a stylish boulevard cruiser. The all-electric Folgore variant helped spearhead the brand’s push into EVs and on the surface, it seemed Maserati had completed the GranCabrio family.
However, the company revealed that it was making one more version to fill out the lineup with the unveiling of the entry-level version of the GranCabrio which will complete the family and also offer buyers a slightly more affordable way to enter the GranCabrio lineup.
Entry-level GranCabrio still has the magic
Maserati didn’t go too far outside the box when it came to naming the trim with the model simply being called “GranCabrio.” The company also applied a light touch to the exterior styling and on the surface there’s not much change that buyers will notice with this model maintaining the same core styling including its elegant front end. The front end is also where the only noticeable change is found with the headlights getting a darkened finish.
Slip inside and you’ll find an ice-colored perforated full-grain leather interior with the Maserati trident embroidered on the headrests. The rest of the cabin continues to deliver a finely honed balance of technology and luxury with the new model benefitting from some of the core essentials that make the rest of the lineup standout.
Performance is on the lite side
Performance for the new entry-level GranCabrio comes from the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that also sees duty in other models. However, it’s slightly detuned here and it produces 483 hp which is less than the 542 hp you see in the Trofeo variant. Despite that, the droptop is still fast with Maserati saying it can make the sprint to 62 mph in 4.0 seconds before reaching a top speed of 186 mph. Like other GranCabrios, the base model will get a standard all-wheel-drive system and an advanced air suspension. Maserati also used the debut to announce it will be offering a new Sport Exhaust feature which will be offered on both the GranCabrio and Trofeo models.
Maserati wasn’t ready to reveal pricing for the base GranCabrio just yet but look for the pricing here to still be firmly in the high-end Grand Touring segment despite the small discount it will give buyers when compared to the Trofeo and Folgore models. Production will begin in March with Maserati opening the order books in April. After that buyers will be in for a bit of a wait with the first models not expected to roll out to showrooms until July.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.