Say your prayers, Porsche Macan…
We have to admit, we were wrong to predict that the Maserati Grecale will debut sometime later in the year after it was spotted in Sweden undergoing rigorous developmental testing in January.
That happened to be its last testing phase as it has finally made its official appearance sooner than we expected. The new Maserati Grecale slots below the Levante and combats in the same segment where the likes of the Porsche Macan plays.
It is offered in three trim levels; GT, Modena and Trofeo with the former spawning 4,846 mm in length, a height of 1,670 mm, a width of 2,163 mm plus a wheelbase of 2,901 mm. The rear wheel track measures 1,948 mm with Maserati making mention that it is greater in the Trofeo.
The Maserati Grecale follows the brand’s new visual symbol that distinguishes every new model since the MC20. Visually, the Grecale looks sporty and comes with an imposing front grille that features the trident logo as well as other forms highlighted by the use of carbon fibre.
At the back, there are boomerang taillights inspired by the Giugiaro 3200 GT as well as a bigger diffuser and trapezoidal, or oval, exhaust tips depending on the trim chosen.
The interior features the traditional Maserati clockface and a digitalised cockpit for the first time, thanks to a large 12.3” central screen and an 8.8” display for the extra controls and a third for the passengers in the rear seats.
There is an all-around sound experience courtesy of Sonus Faber 3D sound system – this includes 14 speakers on Premium level or 21 speakers at the high Premium level.
Maserati confirms that its Grecale is available with a wide range of engines; conventional internal combustion, hybrid and the first all-electric Folgore variant with 400V technology will join the lineup in a year’s time.
From launch, the Modena-based carmaker will avail three versions; GT, Modena and Trofeo. The GT features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 223 kW and 450 Nm of torque while the Modena is a bit more potent, thanks to a hybridised four-cylinder unit with 246 kW of power and similar torque figures.
The Trofeo as the range-topping variant is fitted with a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine based on the MC20’s Nettuno engine with 395 kW and it is able to hurtle from a standstill to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds before hitting the limiter at 285 km/h. The Trofeo features an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission plus an AWD system.
The new Maserati Grecale has been developed at the brand’s Innovation Lab in Modena and it is produced at the Cassino plant.
Keyword: Maserati Grecale makes much-awaited premiere