Maserati GranCabrio review

We might as well start with the Grancabrio’s main point of difference, then. There’s enough room even for two adults of average height to be fairly comfortable in the back seats. Access with the cloth roof down is easy; considerably less so with it up, but not impossible.

With the roof up – and it’s all motorised, and operable in the space of about 15 seconds while the car is moving at speeds of up to 32mph – head room becomes a little bit tight, but the net effect isn’t nearly as claustrophobic-feeling as some. 

But you need to be prepared to drive everywhere with the roof up if you intend to take much in the way of luggage with you, the Grancabrio’s hood folding away into an expansion space that turns the boot into something of a letterbox-like space fit only for the slimmest of soft bags.

The front cabin is fairly comfortable and spacious. It has some of the richer materials you’d expect of Maserati, but perhaps not enough of them to lift the prevailing ambience far enough above the level of, say, a typical German premium saloon. 

Ten years ago, this company leaned harder into its leathers and chromes, and really caught the eye with them. Today, the consistency of perceived quality in its cars is probably better than it used to be – and yet some of the 'wow' factor is missing. Meanwhile, there are still some conspicuous lapses in tactile quality (those plasticky transmission control buttons, for instance); the layout of that lower digital touchscreen is a little busy, making usability tricky; and the seats themselves aren’t as comfortable as they might be.