Maserati Grecale is set to launch this year, and our spy photographers have given us our first look at the cabin of a pre-production example
The launch of the Maserati Grecale has been delayed until spring 2022, which has effectively extended the development cycle of the forthcoming baby SUV. This gave our spy photographers a chance to capture new images of a pre-production example testing in Sweden, providing a first glimpse at the Porsche Macan rival’s interior in the process.
The cabin is a ground-up design, dominated by a large central display panel that houses an infotainment touchscreen and what appears to be a climate-control display. The two screens are separated by buttons for the automatic gearbox controls, because there’s no traditional gear selector.
Elsewhere, Maserati’s trademark dashboard-mounted clock has been digitised, and the cabin architecture itself is streamlined on the whole, with minimal physical buttons and an air vent design that spans the width of the dashboard.
The Grecale also seems to use buttons in place of conventional door handles, and the steering wheel is an all-new item with illuminating controls on the spokes; there’s an engine start button on one side, and a drive mode select switch on the other.
There are a pair of large column-mounted paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, too, and the instruments are entirely digital. A large display panel is integrated into the dashboard and will be configurable, with distinct graphics for each drive mode.
Maserati previously confirmed that the unveiling of the Grecale had been postponed by ongoing supply chain disruptions caused by the global semiconductor shortage.
The car, which is a smaller sibling for the Levante and a rival for cars like the BMW X3, and the soon to be updated Porsche Macan, was set to make its debut in mid November.
“Due to the shortage of semiconductors, the quantity of production would not allow us to respond properly to the expected global demand,” read a statement from the brand confirming the delay.
Maserati has already teased the vehicle and it has been caught on camera by spy photographers numerous times ahead of its anticipated reveal.
Maserati Grecale design
The Grecale won’t introduce a totally new Maserati SUV design language by formatting some of the design cues of the Levante and the new MC20 supercar into a mid-size SUV form factor.
The SUV’s rear end looks like a shrunken version of the Levante’s, sporting a similar tailgate, taillight configuration, diffuser and quad-exit exhaust system. The overall profile of the new vehicle is very similar to that of its bigger brother, despite the reduction in size to roughly 4.7 metres in length. The windowline and rakish rear screen mean that it will be a mid-size premium SUV straddling the line between a traditional two-box appearance and coupe-SUV models like the BMW X4 and Mercedes GLC Coupe.
Previous teaser images also suggest the SUV will adopt Maserati’s trademark vented wings, while the Grecale will be fronted by a vertical headlight configuration rather than the Levante’s horizontal units, for a bit of differentiation.
The Grecale is expected to be based on the same underpinnings as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio – the FCA developed Giorgio platform which is likely to be phased out by Stellantis in the near future.
Powertrains and performance
It will likely be powered by the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine as the new Maserati MC20 supercar. Performance figures for the SUV are yet to be confirmed. Maserati’s Nettuno engine is capable of producing 622bhp and 730Nm of torque but it will be detuned for use in the Grecale.
Maserati will also offer the Grecale with a pure-electric powertrain on an adapted platform. Power and torque figures for the electric model are yet to be confirmed, but Maserati has suggested that the architecture will feature 800-volt battery technology (like the Porsche Taycan) and support up to 300kW rapid-charging.
From 2022, all of the company’s pure-electric models will carry the “Folgore” suffix which translates from Italian into English as “lightning.”
To bridge the gap between the two extremes, Maserati will also offer a range of hybrid powertrains. Again, specifications are unconfirmed, but one option available to Maserati is the 325bhp 2.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine from the Ghibli.
Maserati has set a number of targets for the Grecale. The company claims it will have the greatest top speed of any SUV in its class, while also being the fastest accelerating, best handling and most spacious. Ambitiously, Maserati also plans to go up against the Germans in terms of technology, claiming the Grecale will offer the best in class sound system.
The Grecale will be built at Maserati’s Cassino plant in Italy, with the firm planning an €800 million (around £690 million) investment to set up the facility for the car’s production.
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Keyword: 2022 Maserati Grecale interior revealed in new spy shots