Maserati

Grecale

The Maserati Grecale is a dynamically-styled five-door SUV that is available in three trim levels and powered by 3.0-litre or 2.0-litre mild hybrid petrol engines. With all-wheel drive as standard and generous passenger space, it is the ideal vehicle to escape to the country in.

The good

Styling, practicality and performance

The bad

Expensive with options factored in

Tech Specs

Price from

£61,570

Combined Fuel up to

33.7mpg

0-62 from

3.8 seconds

max speed up to

177mph

co2 from

198g/km

Test Drive

Maserati Grecale – First Drive (2023)

Maserati has just unleashed its striking new SUV that is very big on style, practicality, appeal and, above all, performance.

It is called the Grecale and comes in three flavours called GT, Modena and Trofeo with prices ranging from £61,570 to £99,700.

Depending on trim level, the car will be powered by a 3.0-litre V6 530hp petrol engine or 2.0-litre petrol mild-hybrid unit with outputs of 300hp or 330hp. All cars are all-wheel drive and they all feature a super-slick eight-speed automatic gearbox.

We opted for the mid-grade Grecale Modena model costing £67,180. But as this is a premium model, customers can personalise their car with a whole array of optional packs and add-ons.

Ours featured the likes of a Driver Assistance Pack Plus that added lots of extra safety tech, plus a Sonos faber sound system with 21 speakers, Skyhook Air Suspension, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a surround view camera, rear privacy glass and a panoramic sunroof. The final price-tag was £82,645.

The Grecale Modena is driven by the 2.0-litre petrol engine featuring 48-volt mild hybrid technology. With 330hp and 450Nm of torque, it can complete the 0-62mph dash in a very respectable 5.3 seconds and maxes out at 149mph. But if that’s not quite fast enough, the Grecale Trofeo powers from 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds. On the economy front, our Modena version could deliver a combined 30.4mpg with carbon emissions of 210g/km.

There are powered seats and a power-adjustable steering wheel so its quick and easy to get the perfect driving position. And, thanks to the slightly elevated seating, the driver visibility is excellent.

We tested the car on a route that incorporated some motorway driving where it cruised effortlessly at 70mph with barely a sound filtering into the cabin. There were more challenging B roads with lots of twists and turns – once again the Grecale excelled delivering a balanced ride with flawless grip levels and minimum body sway in and out of corners. Finally, in busier town centre settings, it was easy to manoeuvre and there is all manner of parking aids to help squeeze the vehicle into tight spaces.

The steering is well weighted with great levels of driver feedback and the automatic gearbox is beautifully smooth with a constant stream of power on tap making it easy to overtake slower moving vehicles.

For added driver engagement it’s worth exploring the giant gear shift paddles mounted each side of the steering wheel and there are drive modes that alter the characteristics and reactions of the Grecale considerably too.

The Comfort mode is perfect for day-to-day driving needs, while the GT mode sharpens up the throttle responses slightly along with the gear changing. Move up to Sport and the acceleration and gears become fiercer and the active exhaust valves are opened for a raspier engine note. In this mode, the ride height is also lowered by 15mm for more grounded and dynamic handling.

With all-wheel drive ability, there is an Off-Road mode too. In this setting the ride height is increased by 20mm for added clearance and the Grecale can tow a caravan or trailer weighing up to 2.3 tonnes making it ideal for family escapes to the countryside.

And wherever it passes, the five-door Grecale is guaranteed to attract attention thanks to its strong road presence. Eye-catching features include a distinctive blacked-out front grille with the Maserati Trident emblem. The long bonnet is sculpted and there is privacy glass, trademark boomerang rear lights, ‘Modena’ badging above the triple air vents, quad exhaust pipes, 21-inch alloy wheels and red brake calipers.

The interior oozes elegance and sophistication with high-end fixtures and fittings at every turn. Our car looked stunning with deep red upholstered seats crafted from the finest leather, along with carbon fibre inlays, laser-cut speaker grilles, a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel and lots of soft-touch surfaces.

On-board technology is extensive with the main focal point being a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen which is the largest to ever feature in a Maserati. This is the access point to the likes of the navigation system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the 21-speaker Sonos faber sound system, DAB radio and much more besides.

Beneath that screen is a smaller 8.8-inch touchscreen which is where all the climate control functions are located and at the top of the dashboard is the Maserati clock which can be personalised to taste or even show a compass setting.

A personal assistant is activated by saying ‘Hey Maserati’ and this can help with all manner of instructions such as finding a radio station, adjusting the temperature or accessing contact numbers.

The tft display behind the steering wheel can be customised too although some of the steering wheel buttons to adjust the settings were a tad clunky. And finally, a head-up display will help you keep a watchful eye on the speed amongst other things.

With the Grecale billed as an SUV it needs to deliver on the practicality front and it does just that with a spacious cabin offering room for four adults, or five at a bit of a squeeze. Leg, head and elbow space is generous and light floods the cabin via the sunroof helping to create a warm and relaxed environment for all occupants.

The boot is accessed via a powered tailgate and it can also be opened by waving your foot beneath the rear bumper. This a great function if approaching the car laden with shopping bags. The boot can swallow 535 litres of goodies, a capacity that increases further by folding the rear seats forward. And elsewhere there is a deep central cubby box, seat back pockets, front and rear cup holders, a lockable glovebox and door bins.

Although the Grecale has not been tested for a Euro NCAP safety rating yet, it is packed with top quality safety systems and driver assistance aids to help protect occupants and other road users alike.

So, all in all, the Maserati Grecale is a very welcome arrival and is a credible alternative to the many German vehicles in showrooms today. It looks the business, drives beautifully and still offers impressive versatility in the process. And Maserati is not done just yet as the Italian marque has announced that an all-electric Grecale Folgore will join the line-up in the near future.