Written by Murray Scullion Published: 25 March 2022 Updated: 12 May 2023

Overview

Maserati first dipped its toe into the SUV market with the Levante back in 2016. Fast forward seven years and it has jumped into the deep end with the Maserati Grecale. The idea of the iconic Italian supercar maker introducing a small-ish, upright off-road-themed motor may once have been an anathema to petrolheads, but the success of the Porsche Macan is something that Maserati’s marketing department have clearly paid close attention to.

The Grecale has certainly entered a packed marketplace. Porsche’s smallest SUV is its main rival, but the super posh Range Rover Velar will appear on the same kind of shortlists, as will the Jaguar F-Pace and Alfa Romeo Stelvio, a car which is built in the same plant as the Grecale. BMW’s evergreen X3 is also a similar proposition, albeit with far fewer customisation options.

What sets the Maserati apart from its rivals? On paper, not a great deal. But petrolheads know this a huge step in a new direction for the Modena-based firm. Its platform and interior are brand new, and unlike with old Maserati, there’s no V8 engine. Is this a stride in the right direction?

What’s it like inside?

Comfortable and well-equipped. But it should be for something starting at more than £60,000. You get a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment system (which is the largest screen Maserati has fitted to one of its cars) and a digital climate control panel. Other technology highlights include a customisable ambient lighting system and an extra multimedia screen for rear-seat passengers. Every Grecale also gets a 14-speaker Sonos stereo, but you can specify an optional 21-speaker setup if you fancy it.

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Oddly, you get a transmission that’s controlled by five flush push buttons in the centre display. They feel a bit cheap to touch, but once you’re used to them they aren’t a problem. As you’d expect for this price, the Grecale comes with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a voice recognition system and over-the-air updates for the infotainment.

There’s plenty of room in the cabin, too. Maserati says the Grecale is the most spacious car in its class, and it certainly feels it, offering more head and leg room in the back than the Macan or the X3. A six foot passenger can easily sit behind a similarly-sized driver.

The boot too – at 535 litres – is impressive for a car offering so much pace. It’s usefully larger than the Macan’s (498 litres), but is a touch smaller than the ones found in the BMW X3 (550 litres) and Jaguar F-Pace (650 litres).

What engines are available?

Buyers have a choice of three petrol engines. Two 2.0-litre four cylinders and a V6. The cheapest Grecale GT gets a tuned version of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid unit used in the Maserati Ghibli. It produces 300hp and gives the SUV a 0–62mph time of 5.6 seconds. The Modena is the next step up. It packs a 330hp version of the same engine, which reduces the SUV’s 0–62mph time to 5.3 seconds.

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Despite the performance available, the four-cylinder engines are reasonably efficient. Fuel consumption officially stands between 30.7 and 32.4mpg depending on the trim. However during our time with the car we failed to achieve more than 25mpg. This puts it on par with the cheapest Porsche Macan, but less sporting rivals can offer up much stronger numbers.

The Grecale Trofeo is the most potent variant in the line-up. It features a detuned version of the Ferrari-developed 3.0-litre V6 engine used in the Maserati MC20. In the SUV the unit produces 530hp rather than the 630hp you get in the supercar, but rest assured it’s still enough poke to get the Grecale from 0–62mph in 3.8 seconds – that’s almost a second quicker than the flagship version of the Porsche Macan. The Trofeo has a top speed of 177mph, making it the fastest vehicle in its class.

What’s it like to drive?

The Trofeo is quick enough to join the ranks of super SUVs. Truth be told, the figures above don’t really convey the potency of the acceleration, which is capable of leaving even the range-topping 580hp Levante V8 standing when the lights turn green. Keep the accelerator floored, and the Grecale Trofeo will roar from 0-125mph in just 13.8 seconds – matching the more overtly sporting Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

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The 2.0-litre engines are significantly slower, but they’re surprisingly characterful. They rev keenly and little burps from the exhaust keep the aural delights coming. They’re certainly sweeter than the lacklustre 2.0-litre in the Macan. We’d recommend the GT as the Modena’s extra 30hp isn’t really noticeable.

The Grecale features sophisticated multilink suspension, with adaptive dampers and optional air suspension. Low speed ride is pretty firm no matter how you spec it, with cars on 21-inch wheels feeling more brittle than those on 20-inch wheels. Broadly, the Grecale ducks and dives markedly with surface imperfections and is notably less comfortable than a Range Rover Velar or Jaguar F-Pace.

On smooth roads and above 60mph, though, it’s much calmer. The air suspension makes the most difference at motorway speeds, there’s palpably more float. If you regularly traverse British motorways it’s worth the extra money.

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There are five different drive modes labelled Comfort, GT, Sport, Corsa and Off-Road, and these alter the ride height by as much as 65mm. However, you can’t individually select your favourite blend of steering action, throttle response, shift speed, traction control, brake characteristics and exhaust note, instead relying on pre-defined programs.

Handling and steering are suitably sporting, with excellent response and good body control in bends. While every version of the Grecale also comes as standard with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive.

What else should I know?

Maserati is about to throw its full weight behind its new EV Folgore business model. The fresh strategy will propel the company into the electrified era and (hopefully) make the brand’s vehicles more competitive alongside their German rivals. The electric Grecale will share the same electric architecture as the firm’s electric supercar, the MC20 Folgore. It should be along at some point in 2023.

It’s designed to rival the likes of the BMW iX3, Tesla Model Y and Jaguar I-Pace. This will be the gamechanger for the firm as it prepares for the UK’s electric future, post 2030.

Maserati has been drip-feeding information about the electric Grecale for the past few months, but we don’t know too many details yet. So far, the brand has confirmed it’ll be powered by a 105kWh battery pack and that its electric motors will be capable of producing up to 800Nm of torque – which is 200Nm more than you get from the V10-engined Lamborghini Huracan.

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The car will also run on a 400-volt electrical system, which means it won’t be able to charge as quickly as the Porsche Taycan or the Kia EV6. Those cars feature a faster 800-volt system that can cram more power into the battery pack over a shorter space of time.

We should also explain Maserati’s personalisation scheme, called Fuoriserie. Not much is off limits here, so if you want a unique Grecale they can make it happen. Cars from more mainstream manufacturers simply can’t do this. Rest assured, it comes at a cost. You can spend more than £20,000 on paint for your Grecale.

Click through to to the Verdict to find out if we recommend a Grecale over its rivals.