Maserati Grecale Review 2024

"Everyday exceptional" is the marketing line that Maserati's taking with the new Grecale. The Maserati Grecale is a car that fits in nicely with your everyday life, but it also adds a little excitement along the way. That's the idea, anyway.

In reality, the Maserati Grecale is a late entrant to the premium mid-size SUV sector. That means it's up against the Audi Q5, Range Rover Velar and, erm, the Porsche Macan. The reason we hesitate is not because that's a bold statement (on price alone, the Maserati Grecale is very much a competitor for the Macan) - but because the Porsche is such a desirable, well established player in the segment, the Maserati Grecale really has its work cut out.

So how's it going to stand out? For a start, it's not yet another German premium SUV. The mere fact that it's got a trident badge on the grille will be enough to pique the interest of anyone looking for something a bit left-field. While the bigger Maserati Levante rivals the Porsche Cayenne, the brand is better known for its sexy sports cars than versatile SUVs - cars like the incredible Maserati MC20.

It looks fairly pretty, too. Some might say that's an understatement, but you can look at the pictures yourself and come to your own conclusion about the Maserati Grecale's design. There is an element of Ford Puma about that front end, we reckon, but it's certainly not offensive to the eye.

Inside, Maserati's claiming best-in-class spaciousness and comfort. We'll explore this in more detail further in our Maserati Grecale review, but it's certainly a fairly comfortable and roomy family SUV. It's pretty stylish inside, too, while there's all the technology you'd expect in a modern SUV - including a central touchscreen infotainment display, as well as a separate digital screen for adjusting the climate control.

There are three core Maserati Grecale models available: the GT, Modena and the range-topping Trofeo. These aren't simply trim levels; each has a different engine, ranging from the 300PS four-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol in the Grecale GT to the supercar-baiting 530PS V6 petrol in the Maserati Grecale Trofeo.

While the flagship Grecale Trofeo grabs the headlines (thanks to its 3.8 second 0-62mph time and 177mph top speed), the lesser models will sell in bigger numbers in the UK. And even the most affordable Grecale is far from a slouch - it'll reach 62mph in just 5.6 seconds, while its artificial pops and snorts add a little drama.

The Maserati Grecale is based on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, which is good news for the way it handles. Its steering is direct, while its body remains composed in cornering - although it's not as lithe and agile as a Macan. No SUV is.

Perhaps the most interesting Maserati Grecale is yet to arrive. There's an all-electric version due in 2024, badged the Maserati Grecale Folgore and expected to have a hefty 800Nm of torque. Perhaps more relevant, its 105kWh battery and 400V tech means it should be more than up to the job of long-distance driving.

Ultimately, the Maserati Grecale isn't going to sell in as huge numbers as the BMW X3 or Mercedes GLC. But that adds to its appeal. If you can justify the cost and vehemently don't want a Porsche Macan, the Maserati Grecale is a bold choice in the premium SUV sector.

The Maserati Grecale measures 4846mm long, 1948mm wide and 1670mm high, while its 2901mm wheelbase is intended to provide impressive interior space.

It certainly doesn't feel claustrophobic, with plenty of room in the front for even the broadest of adults. There's a generous amount of rear legroom, too, while headroom is also impressive. You can squeeze three people side-by-side in the back, if you wish, although the middle passenger will feel like they've drawn the short straw.

Maserati Grecale GT and Modena models can carry up to 535 litres of luggage, hampered slightly by the mild-hybrid batteries positioned under the boot floor. This increases to 570 litres in the Trofeo. The boot is pretty big for an SUV of this size - indeed, the Porsche Macan only has a 488-litre boot. If you need more luggage space, the seats can be dropped down using a button in the boot. Everyday exceptional and all that...

You might take a high quality interior for granted in a £60,000 plus SUV but, frankly, the Italians don't have form for making well-screwed-together cabins. Fortunately, the Maserati Grecale feels suitably plush inside, with lots of fine finishes and lovely metal paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.

It's not too spec-dependent, either. Even the entry-level Maserati Grecale GT comes with plush leather seats and soft-touch materials aplenty. It feels like a step up from the bigger (and pricier) Maserati Levante in terms of quality, too.

There is a slight caveat - rivals like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 also feel pretty posh inside. Arguably more so. And they're quite considerably cheaper.

A central 12.3-inch infotainment screen is standard across the Maserati Grecale range. This uses a responsive Android operating system, while plugging your phone in provides access to either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. If that's not enough, there's also in-car Wi-Fi which can be used to power in-built Amazon Alexa. So now you can add to your to-do list or fiddle with your kitchen speaker from the car.

Below the main display is another 8.8-inch screen which can be used to adjust the temperature of the climate control. This is pretty user-friendly as far as touchscreen systems go, and means you don't have to mess around with the main display to turn on your heated seat. We'd still prefer old-fashioned buttons, though.

All Maserati Grecale models come with a premium Sonus faber sound system, which sounds pretty good to our (untrained) ears. It features 14 speakers as standard, while 21 speakers are offered as an optional extra (standard on the Grecale Trofeo).

At the time of writing, the Maserati Grecale range kicks off from around £61,500 for the entry-level GT. To put that into context, an Audi Q5 Sportback kicks off at £50,000, A Porsche Macan is priced from around £53,500 and a Range Rover Velar starts from £54,000. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio - which shares a platform with the Grecale - is around £47,000. Ouch.

That's the price you pay for exclusivity, though, and in the Grecale's defence, the most affordable GT trim isn't exactly in hire car spec. You get leather seats, 19-inch alloy wheels, the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and - of course - a 300PS mild-hybrid petrol engine.

The Maserati Grecale Modena is priced from a smidgen below £68,000 while the top-spec Grecale Trofeo is nudging £100,000. And that's before you start looking at the options list.

It's worth a play on the Maserati Grecale online configurator to find out exactly how much you can spend on a premium SUV. While it's nice to see a manufacturer offering a bold colour palette, we're not sure many customers will fork out more than £17,000 for one of the Fuoriserie colours.

Forget any notion that this Maserati SUV will be cheap to run. Even with mild-hybrid electrical assistance, the Maserati Grecale GT only returns 32.5mpg in official WLTP fuel economy tests. This drops to 32.1mpg in the Modena.

As for the Trofeo? The official figure is 24.4mpg. We expect the real-world fuel economy will be significantly less - you'll be too tempted to make the most of its 530PS.

There is an all-electric Maserati Grecale on the horizon, though. This will be badged the Grecale Folgore and will have a hefty 105kWh battery. Range figures are yet to be confirmed, but expect it to be able to travel a significant distance between charges.

All Maserati Grecale models have a list price of more than £40,000. That means you'll pay an extra £390/year in 'premium car tax' for five years (from the second time it's taxed). That's on top of the standard figure, which is currently £180 for petrol models (such as the Grecale Trofeo) and £170 for mild-hybrids (including the Grecale GT and Modena).

The Maserati Grecale is certainly at the sporty end of the SUV spectrum, which explains why it feels a little on the firm side. Not uncomfortable but, even with the optional air suspension (standard on the top-spec Trofeo), you'll notice a hard edge on uneven road surfaces.

All Grecale models come with four-wheel drive, which is more about aiding traction during speedy cornering than any off-road prowess. There's a reassuring amount of grip while the Grecale always feels composed in corners, although it's not quite up to the Porsche Macan's levels of sporting ability.

A downside to the Maserati Grecale's agility is a slight nervousness you'll detect at speed. It's very eager to change lanes on the motorway, for example, but sometimes you'd rather it just settled down into a relaxed cruise.

Of course, going with Maserati's 'everyday exceptional' vibe, the Grecale is perfectly fine to drive around town. Visibility is pretty good, while it's no more challenging to thread through traffic than a Nissan Qashqai.

Both the Maserati Grecale GT and Grecale Modena are powered by the same four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol engine with 48-volt mild-hybrid electrical assistance. Enthusiasts will turn their noses up at a four-cylinder Maserati, but both pack quite a punch: even the entry-level GT has 300PS, while the Modena produces 330PS. That's enough for 0-62mph acceleration in 5.6 seconds and 5.3 seconds respectively.

Not only are they pretty pacey, but there's also quite a lot of aural drama involved with heavy acceleration - especially if you select sport mode. Much of this is through the speakers, admittedly, but it feels sufficiently special for an SUV sporting the Maserati trident.

Performance fans will want the Maserati Grecale Trofeo, which uses the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 as the MC20 sports car. With 530PS and 620Nm of torque, to say it's pretty quick is an understatement - it'll hit 62mph in just 3.8 seconds, while top speed is 177mph. That's quicker than a Porsche Macan Turbo. Heck, it's even quicker than the Ferrari-powered Maserati Levante Trofeo.

All Maserati Grecale models come paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It's not quite as crisp as Porsche's PDK, but few will have any complaints. If you want to take control yourself, the metal shifters behind the steering wheel are quite rewarding to use.

The Maserati Grecale hasn't yet been crash-tested by Euro NCAP but, if it's anything like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio (its platform-sharing relation), it ought to be a very safe family SUV.

Autonomous emergency braking should reduce your chances of being involved in a crash, although you'll need to upgrade to one of the optional driver-assist packs for the full plethora of technology. These aren't cheap - the Driver Assistance Pack Plus is more than £2500 and adds features like adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor and active lane assist. You'll pay nearly £5000 for the Advanced Driver Assistance Pack Plus with its intelligent speed assist, active drive assist and traffic sign recognition.

The 2023 Maserati Grecale GT comes with black leather upholstery (with 10-way power adjustment for the driver), a 12.3-inch touchscreen navigation display (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It also features selectable drive modes as well as an eight-speed automatic gearbox and mild-hybrid electrical assistance. The Grecale GT comes with 19-inch alloy wheels as standard.

The Maserati Grecale Modena builds on the GT with a power boost to 325PS. It also adds a limited-slip differential, 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control and 12-way adjustable front seats.

The top-spec Maserati Grecale Trofeo comes with a 523PS twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine. Further standard equipment includes perforated leather seats (heated in the front), a Sonus faber 21-speaker sound system and 21-inch alloy wheels.