There are plenty of Maserati ‘trident’ badges on the latest Quattroporte – you’ll see them everywhere inside the and outside the car.

But what you won’t find on the V6 is a badge saying ‘diesel’. Not sure why this is because the 275bhp engine is one of the highlights of the Quattroporte. It works brilliantly with the 8-speed auto gearbox. Press the Sport button and the diesel feels more like a V6 petrol.

This being a Maserati, they’ve managed to squeeze a decent exhaust note from the four tailpipes as well. I’m not a fan of rasps and pops (a la Jaguar F-Type) but the Quattroporte has a deep-throated grumble that is very satisfying.

The Quattroporte may be a little long in the tooth now but it’s still massively desirable. It will be a few years yet before a replacement comes along and driving this V6 diesel I can clearly understand why sales continue to rise…