Maserati Grecale
Attack on the Macan
Maserati Grecale
© press-inform – the press office
With the new Grecale, Maserati now has a second SUV in its range. It shoots against Porsche Macan as well as higher motorized BMW X3 and should provide urgently needed numbers.
Maserati as a trendsetter? As far as colors, materials and designs are concerned, one can certainly attribute that to the Italians. But when it comes to technology and model range, the traditional brand is not always up to date. The first SUV was only launched in 2016. The Levante caused sales figures to explode in the short term, but fell short of expectations over the course of its car life, which was characterized by few changes. One of its main problems: the five-meter car is too small for a full-size SUV that is so popular with North Americans and Asians, and too big for Europe’s smart buyers. A realignment of the model range is now supposed to eradicate this: the next Levante will be larger, and the smaller Grecale is already taking the position of the entry-level model. The pair is comparable to Porsche Cayenne and Macan or BMW X5 and X3.
But the Grecale is not really that much smaller than the Levante either. It measures 4.86 meters in length – at least 13 centimeters more than the Macan. At 2.90 meters, it also clearly tops its wheelbase by ten centimetres. The fact that the Italian should have at least 80 liters more trunk volume, depending on the version, sounds logical, but it should also have something to do with different measurement methods. And when it comes to interior space, Maserati proudly announces that it is “Best in Class” – however it is measured. In any case, it is certain that the Grecale is one size larger than its closest competitor, the Macan. However, who he also trumps by a few centimeters is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. This is not insignificant because the Maserati shares the same technical platform and is manufactured together with Alfa’s first SUV in Cassino between Rome and Naples.
So is the Grecale just an Alfa Romeo Stelvio in disguise? Of course, both share a common ground, similar to Porsche Macan and Audi Q5. Anything else would be economically unreasonable. Despite this, the Maserati technicians pulled out all the stops to move the Grecale as far away from the Stelvio as possible. The exterior design succeeds at first glance. Only with a few detailed solutions does one notice that the admonishing finger from the Stellantis group forced compromises. The Grecale has no frameless side windows, as is usual with Maserati. Most potential new customers shouldn’t notice that anyway.
The difference between the Grecale and the Stelvio is even greater in the interior. This is not difficult at first, because the Alfa SUV has been available since 2017. The technology has progressed accordingly: four displays in the Grecale, the largest of which has a decent 12.3-inch screen diagonal, and a smartwatch instead of the classic Maserati analog watch are evidence of this. The whole thing is combined with various online services and remote services, with a head-up display and a Sonus Faber sound system. Here Maserati is currently absolutely up to date. The second essential step for more independence is a classic Maserati virtue, the design: very reduced (operation is largely via the touchscreen), very progressive and, above all, equipped with more expensive materials, the Grecale looks at least one class above the Stelvio.
But also technically the Grecale breaks away from the common basis. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which is a pure FCA development, still has the closest proximity. It was fitted with a mild hybrid system and is already used in the Maserati Ghibli and Levante. While that is only available with 330 hp there, it is also available for the Grecale with 300 hp. At Alfa, it makes 200 and 280 hp without a hybrid system. The V6 options are technically more spectacular in both vehicles: while the Stelvio uses an old 2.9-liter Ferrari base with 510 hp, the Grecale gets a brand new 3.0-liter V6 engine developed by Maserati itself became. It is based on the engine of the MC20 super sports car and achieves 530 hp. With the prechamber ignition from Formula 1, it is definitely a technical treat. Above all, the engine helps the top-of-the-range Grecale model, called Trofeo, to achieve driving performance that is actually “best in class”: It otherwise has better sprinting ability (3.8 seconds) from 0 to 100 and a higher top speed (285 km/h). nobody in the segment. It goes without saying that this performance has its price: the Grecale Trofeo costs around 110,000 euros. The 300 hp Grecale starts at around 71,500 euros. In the best case, the larger Levante starts at just under 80,000 euros for the 330 hp version.
Maserati is already bringing another Grecale version into the market. But it won’t be available until the end of next year: The Grecale Folgore is a fully electric version. Little is known about the technology, except that the car will have at least 800 Newton meters of torque and 400-volt technology. The Grecale Folgore will not be the first electric Maserati, as the all-electric GranTurismo sports car will make its debut before that. On this point too, Maserati is trying to shorten the gap to the competition.