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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.
Click to Enlarge.
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.
Click to Enlarge.
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).
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
First Look – Maserati Grecale SUV
Click to Enlarge.
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.
Click to Enlarge.
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.
Click to Enlarge.
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).
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.