When you see this Maserati Grecale Trofeo you can safely mumble something about the launch of yet another top-end SUV, but the two guiding principles of global production and demand lead us to the inevitable conclusion that ‘tall and chubby’ is financially fashionable. is. That had been obvious for some time, of course.
Maserati also admits that they arrive late at the party with this Grecale; it’s a mid-sized luxury SUV that nestles beneath the larger Levante in the range. Think of it as a rival to the Porsche Macan, like an Alfa Romeo-Stelvio with a more chic logo (and a longer wheelbase).
Why the Maserati Grecale looks a bit boring
Basically, the Maserati Grecale is a five-seat SUV (based on Stellantis’ Giorgio platform) with a class-leading amount of space – and styling that may seem a bit lukewarm at first. The idea behind it is something Maserati calls “visual longevity”; if you make a car that follows current trends too closely, you run the risk that it will soon go out of style again.
Now, however, the result is a car that may not even manage to attract enough attention at first. The theory works fine when it comes to the shapes and volumes of a supercar like the MC20 – a somewhat conservative ultra-performance model – justifiably so – but it may be less suitable for an average-sized SUV. Well, it features a hefty Maserati grille, cool trident logos and the signature three holes in each of its front fenders. But if you were to brush off those visual cues, there’s little that remains impressive.
The Maserati Grecale comes in three distinctive flavours: GT, Modena and Trofeo. The first two get a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with mild hybrid technology and 300 and 330 hp respectively. The GT entry-level gets an open rear differential with the option of a mechanical lock, while the Modena gets that as standard; plus a slightly wider rear track, which it shares with the Maserati Grecale Trofeo. Active suspension and air suspension are available on all models, although the Modena already has active dampers as standard. All three Grecales have an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.
The Maserati Grecale Trofeo gets the V6 from the MC20
The Maserati Grecale Trofeo is the version for which you will prick up your ears the fastest. It has a retuned version of the 3.0-litre twin-turbo Nettuno V6 from the MC20, excluding the dry sump lubrication, good for 530 hp. It is still equipped with fancy front-chamber ignition (a system called Maserati Twin Combustion) and sounds quite raw and ragged, a sound assisted by a 0-to-100 time of just 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 285 km/h.
It all seems very exciting, until you discover that the fastest Grecale feels a bit slick emotionally – there’s very little to grab hold of and love. The steering is good, the brakes strong, the bodywork check is all right. The transmission is quite okay. He looks a bit obese (he weighs 2,027 kilos), but it also seems like the chassis never really comes out.
The road holding is not quite right
Maybe it’s because we’re driving early test units, but something about the way the Maserati Grecale Trofeo rolls down the highway doesn’t feel quite senang – almost like it’s stumbling along the ground a little clumsily. Play around with the different driving modes and the Trofeo will show its sharper edges, drive a little faster and it all gets a little livelier, but the Grecale never really escapes your expectation at the sight of a hefty SUV – it continues to give the impression that it is constantly in conflict with its own physical properties. To put it in millennial language, the Grecale Trofeo is a bit meh. And that’s not enough.
Fortunately, the Grecale has a lot to offer inside. It’s really roomy, with a big boot – although on the mild-hybrid versions it shrinks slightly due to battery storage. It’s no problem to put someone six feet tall behind a driver of the same height.
The infotainment screen in the Maserati Grecale
There is big news in the now very important field of infotainment: a 12.3-inch screen, an 8.8-inch panel with extra control functions and no buttons. It’s admittedly a bit crowded, but it all works very well and it looks ultra-HD sleek, with neat graphics. The lower part with all the extras looks a bit packed, although you soon find out what is where and how it works. It is a huge improvement over previous Maserati systems and gives the entire dashboard a modern look. And then there are the usual smart driving aids and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, so in terms of tech it is good.
The competition has not stood still
The main problem is that we now want a little more in the higher price range. If you’ve ever driven a Porsche Macan, you’ll quickly notice what’s wrong here. In the Netherlands, the prices of the Grecale range from about 100 mille for the GT to 166 mille for the Trofeo (75 and 116 mille in Belgium), and within those values there is quite a bit of stiff competition.
The Chinese market may be viewed with half an eye for the positioning of the four-cylinder, but for those who see Maserati as more than just a marketing name, the Grecale is a car that manages to achieve most of its objectives, but ultimately the point. fog.
We’ll need to spend some more time (on decent roads) with it to make a real final judgment, but while the Trofeo has to be the most attractive Grecale, it’s not quite at the top of its class.
Specifications Maserati Grecale Trofeo (2022)
engine
3,000 cc
V6 biturbo
530 hp @ 6,500 rpm
620 Nm @ 3,000 rpm
Drive
four wheels
8v automatic
Performance
0-100 km/h in 3.8 s
top 285 km/h
Consumption (average)
11.2 l/100 km
254 g/km CO2
Dimensions
4,859 x 1,979 x 1,659mm (lxwxh)
2,901mm (wheelbase)
2,027 kg
64 l (petrol)
570 l (luggage)
Prices
€166,087 (NL)
€ 116,100 (B)
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