Maserati reveals its Porsche Macan fighter

Wednesday, 23 March 2022

Maserati's Head of Design Klaus Busse walks us around the Maserati Grecale Trofeo.

Maserati has taken the wraps off a vehicle that will be vital to its future and will eventually become the first-ever all-electric Maserati, the Grecale mid-size SUV that the Italian manufacturer is aiming straight at the Porsche Macan.

Developed at the Maserati Innovation Lab in Modena, the new SUV is produced at the Cassino plant and Maserati says it will have the Trident brand’s “fullest ever range”, with conventional internal combustion engines, hybrid and, in a year’s time, a fully-electric version.

The 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, putting it squarely in Macan territory.

The Maserati Grecale will take on the Porsche Macan with a range of ICE powerplants, as well as an all-electric version.

Three versions will be rolled out at launch: the GT, powered by a four-cylinder mild hybrid engine capable of delivering 221kW; The Modena, with a four-cylinder 243kW mild hybrid engine; and the powerful Trofeo, equipped with a high-performance 3.0-litre 390kW petrol V6 based on the “Nettuno” engine fitted to the MC20.

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The Grecale’s interior packs the largest touchscreen to ever feature in a Maserati.

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The Grecale also gets Maserati’s all-new Vehicle Dynamic Control Module (VDCM) system with a number of different drive modes – Comfort, GT, Sport and Off-road, while the Trofeo model also gets a special, Corsa (Race) mode.

While it looks pretty much how you would expect it to on the outside (a cross between the larger Levante SUV and the Porsche it is aimed squarely at), the interior of the Grecale is a far more high-tech affair than previous Maserati models.

The interior features three touchscreens (a large 12.3-inch central screen, an 8.8-inch display for the extra controls and a third for the passengers in the rear seats), while the traditional Maserati clock face goes digital for the first time, and transforms into an in-car concierge with voice control.

While there is no word of pricing, or even local availability, yet, Maserati has revealed that the range will be completed by the Grecale Folgore in a year’s time. The Folgore will be 100 per cent electric and will pack 400V technology, making it the first of Maserati’s all-electric offerings.