Maserati Grancabrio Review: Can New-look V6 Gt Beat Mercedes Sl?

Stylish drop-top comes in for a nip and tuck – and leaves with one of the best-sounding engines in the game Unfortunate slogan choice in the artsy video that Maserati showed journalists at the launch event for its facelifted 2026 line-up: “In a world that mistakes volume for presence, we have never raised our voice.”You get the point: it’s about the Italian brand being subtle, refined and considered while rivals bicker over power figures, battery capacities and Nurbürgring lap times. But it can’t help drawing attention to the fact that Maserati’s very presence is eternally under scrutiny because its volumes are so low.Its core models – the Grecale SUV, Granturismo coupé and Grancabrio convertible – have been updated after roughly three years on sale apiece, during which time they have recorded fewer than 2000 sales in the UK combined - and the sports car duo only around a tenth of that tally.The Grancabrio continues to be offered with a V6 in two states of tune and – somewhat surprisingly – in fully electric Folgore form, which might now sell slightly better now it's had its maximum range boosted to 316 miles.This is one of the last remaining examples of the four-seat luxury convertible: one of those concepts that’s probably more appealing on paper – or in some romantic, coming-of-age road trip movie, perhaps – than in the real world.It takes about 10 seconds travelling in the back of one to appreciate why. There’s seldom an abundance of space and there’s so much wind buffeting and fluttering that you can’t really hear any conversation – or even succeed in wearing a hat for very long. Imagine travelling to visit in-laws or for a weekend away exclusively via a particularly draughty rollercoaster and you will begin to get the idea.Most luxury car manufacturers – the likes of Bentley and Mercedes-Benz – have come to tacitly admit as much by declining to offer big, four-seat convertibles any more. Their flagship open-top cars are now almost exclusively 2+2s in which the back seats are pretty clearly there for short hops and ‘emergencies’ only.But the second-generation Maserati Grancabrio – which entered production in 2024 and has now been lightly updated – is the exception. This is the one luxury cabriolet that targets genuine four-seat usability.And you don’t have to drive it everywhere with the roof down, of course: there’s a lovely motorised cloth hood to keep the wind out when you want to.