First Look – Maserati Grecale SUV

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An SUV from Modena, let alone electrified versions, might be jarring for the historically inclined or encumbered, but the new Maserati Grecale is billed as a balance between versatility, comfort, elegance, performance, and safety. Developed at the Maserati Innovation Lab in Modena, the new SUV is produced at the Cassino plant. Offered with a bewildering variety of options or equipment, it is the Trident brand’s most complicated line in history. (AutoInformed on: Maserati – First Italian Luxury Brand to Produce EVs?)

Three versions are now rolling out: GT, powered by a four-cylinder mild hybrid engine capable of delivering 300 hp; Modena, with a four-cylinder 330-hp mild hybrid engine; and the Trofeo, equipped with a high-performance 3.0L 530-hp petrol V6 based on the Nettuno engine of the MC20.

At launch, the Grecale is also available in the PrimaSerie Launch Edition, a limited edition featuring “exclusive content” to fatten grosses. To complete the range, there’s the Grecale Folgore, the 100% electric version with 400V technology but it’s not due until sometime in 2023.

The new Grecale (translation – Lightning or Flash of) SUV stands out in terms of spaciousness and comfort, Maserati boasts with some “best-in-class” aspects. Claimed are best-in-class in acceleration (0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds – the Trofeo), top speed (285 km/h – again the Trofeo), sound quality and use of fine materials such as wood, carbon fiber and leather. All these claims await independent testing and verification. The Porsche Cayenne also provides some formidable competition.

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Inside, in the cabin, one finds the traditional Maserati clock-face. Digital for the first time, it is an in-car “concierge” in marketing speak because it has voice control. Everything is touch-based. The technology is controlled from the displays: the large 12.3” central screen, the largest ever seen in a Maserati, another 8.8” display for the extra controls and a third display for the passengers in the rear seats.

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This is a large SUV of ‘Merican proportions. In the GT version, Grecale is 4,846 mm long with a wheelbase of 2,901 mm, a height of 1,670 mm, a width of 2,163 mm (including wing mirrors), with a rear wheel track of 1,948 mm (and even greater in the Trofeo).