(autoinsidernews) - Maserati is about to launch the new Quattroporte Automatic joining the current Quattroporte, which is equipped with a sequential manual gearbox. The new Quattroporte Automatic addresses the biggest complaint with the Maserati sedan, the SMG transmission, called the DuoSelect. While SMG transmissions offer better control than typical automatic and do a great job of making quick shifts under heavy acceleration, they tend to feel jerky and unrefined while cruising around town, reports Trend.
The Quattroporte Automatic is fitted with an automatic six-speed ZF gearbox, which ensures a smooth, fluid gear changes, for improved driving comfort, while still delivering rapid shifts. The all-new transmission moves more weight up front (49/51 front/rear, vs 47/53 with the DuoSelect version with transaxle layout). The torque converter and altered weight distribution are bound to change the performance nature of the car, but at least the DuoSelect is still available.
The Quattroporte Automatic will debut at the Detroit Auto Show, and will begin sales from January.