New Maserati interiors fit for the fashion runway

Have you ever wanted your car to look and feel as good as a tailored Italian suit? Maserati Canada may have the right option box for you to tick.

Maserati is showing off custom silk interiors by Ermenegildo Zegna at this year’s Canadian International Auto Show.

Ermenegildo Zegna is one of the largest fabric suppliers in the world. Thanks to their technology and know-how, Maserati can offer silk components in their car interiors.

Designed in collaboration with the legendary Italian fashion house, custom seat inserts are available with a micro-chevron silk weave, which creates a breathable layer between the occupant’s back and the seat itself. The rest of the seat is wrapped in leather and available in three colours: Nero (black), Cuoio (light brown) and Rosso (red). The headliner and door panels are also available as a silk option.



New for 2016 are enhanced safety and convenience features through the range of sedans, including start/stop, blind spot and rear cross path alert, power trunk lid with hands-free operation, premium Harman Kardon 900-watt audio system and Siri Smart Personal Assistant.

Also new for Maserati Canada is their ability to offer competitive lease and finance rates through Scotiabank. Exclusive to Canadian consumers is a four year no-charge maintenance plan, along with a four year warranty.

Growing sales



Maserati Canada Inc. was established in 2015 and Italian-Canadian Richard Trevisan was appointed to head up the business. “As the demand for luxury automobiles continues to expand across Canada, Maserati wanted to be on the forefront of that evolution, particularly as we await further additions to our dynamic and diversifying product portfolio,” said Trevisan.

The next addition to Maserati’s portfolio will be the 2017 Levante SUV, which will arrive in dealerships this fall.

“The DNA of this SUV is 100 per cent Maserati,” said Trevisan. The world premiere of the Levante will take place at the Geneva Motor Show in March. According to Trevisan, there has already been very strong consumer interest at their seven dealerships across the country.

Trevisan, whose mother is Canadian, was born in Turin, Italy, which is where the Quattroporte and Ghibli are currently manufactured. Trevisan came to Canada 13 years ago to launch Smart for Mercedes-Benz.

Maserati Canada achieved record sales of 507 cars in 2015, up 8 per cent from 2014 and more than double from 2013, thanks primarily to the launch of the competitively-priced Ghibli which starts at $83,800. This year has started off with January sales up 36 per cent over last year.

Trevisan said that just like a lot of exotic brands, Maserati suffers from “strong brand awareness, but not strong product awareness.” He says they are all working very hard to change that.

The all-wheel drive Ghibli S Q4 starts at $92,950 and the flagship Quattroporte S Q4 starts at $121,400. Both are equipped with four-wheel drive (hence the Q4 designation), which makes them very suitable as daily drivers in this country, albeit rather exotic daily drivers. But for the right buyer, they will fit their owners like a finely-tailored suit.

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Maserati is located within the Auto Exotica exhibit on the 100 level.

Freelance writer Michael Taylor contributes to Toronto Star Wheels. To reach him, email wheels@thestar.ca and put his name in the subject line.