The midsize SUVs of German origin, such as the Porsche Macan, had little competition for years, but with the Grecale, Maserati now also wants to get a share in this segment. We set off with the little brother of the Levante.
A Maserati is always something special. The models of the brand are as beautifully stylized as they are exclusive. A bit too exclusive actually, because Maserati also wants and needs to earn money. Then there is hardly a better model imaginable than an SUV, after all, that is the success number of the moment. After the Levante aimed at the Porsche Cayenne, models such as the BMW X3 and the Porsche Macan now have an opponent.
Fully digital
It is tempting to call this car the ‘little brother’ of the Levante, but it is not really small at 4.86 meters in length. Its appearance, however, bears some resemblance to Maserati’s full-size SUV, even though this car is technically related to the less exclusive Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Technology sharing reduces development costs and makes Grecale the most cost-effective model in the Maserati range. And it could very well become the most popular model.
The interior of the Grecale is considerably more modern than that of other Maserati models. We see a fully digital instrumentation and a dashboard with a huge touchscreen in the middle that is slightly turned towards the driver, with which you can control everything. You can even select the gears of the eight-speed automatic transmission. If you want to switch on a different driving mode, you can do that with a rotary knob on the right spoke of the steering wheel. The Italians have copied that well from Porsche. Although it is about 20 centimeters shorter than its big brother Levante, the Grecale also offers hardly less space in the back.
Folgore
Even though this is a dynamic SUV, the Grecale does not want to be a sports car with a rock-solid chassis. Road unevenness is handled well in the Comfort and GT driving modes. Only when you switch on Sport mode, where you lower the air suspension by 15 millimeters, do the adaptive dampers give direct feedback from the road. Thanks to the Comfort and GT modes, even inexperienced drivers can enjoy this mid-size SUV with a trident in the grille. The engine does its job in those low-noise driving modes, while the powertrain in the Sport program is extremely responsive and gives the 1.9-ton Maserati an astonishing nimbleness. Because more power is sent to the rear wheels than to the front wheels, you can drift in a relaxed manner, with the ESP giving you some leeway.
In addition to the two-liter four-cylinder engine that powers our camouflaged test car, a V6 engine and Folgore technology are also possible. In the latter case, it concerns an electrically powered Grecale with a capacity of more than 600 hp, 800 volt technology and a range of 500 kilometers. That sounds pretty exciting.
After our test drive it is clear that the Grecale is more than an Alfa Romeo Stelvio with a different look. It offers almost as much space as the Levante and is lighter and more modern. So it is not only a serious competitor for the Macan and associates, but also for its big brother.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl