Ahead of its eagerly anticipated arrival in the UK later this year, top British motoring journalists have been enjoying getting behind the wheel of the new Maserati Grecale in Italy.
Let’s turn to GQ first for a reminder of what the new sports luxury five-seat SUV’s name stands for and an overview of the engines on offer: “Like the Levante, the Grecale takes its name from a wind and is available with both conventional combustion (Trofeo – 530bhp V6) and mild hybrid engines (GT – 300bhp 4-cylinder / Modena – 330bhp 4-cylinder).”
Before getting behind the wheel, GQ praised the Grecale’s handsome design, describing the looks as “stylish and discrete.” At the same time, Top Gear drew positive attention to the SUV’s “whopping Maserati grille, cool trident badges and triple portholes on the front wings.”
In terms of style, quality, technology and, of course, family-friendly practicality, the three leading publications were united in their praise for the Grecale’s cabin.
“The Grecale has a lot going for it on the inside. It’s properly spacious, with a big boot. In terms of style, there’s quilting and texture galore, giving the Grecale a lovely layered feel throughout the cabin, with nice use of things like matte wood and soft leather. The seats look great too,” observed Top Gear.
“Trim is of the highest quality you’re likely to find under a hundred grand, with options including shiny piano and open-pore wood or carbon fibre,” concurred GQ. “It blends seamlessly with the technology, which is highly connected and can utilise Alexa and Google Home. The iconic Maserati clock is in its usual place, but now it has a digital face.” While Car found out that: “Space upfront is plentiful, and rear space is sufficient for a six-footer to sit in comfort.”
It was equally evident from the early test drive reports that Maserati’s chassis and powertrain engineers have hit their targets with the same bullseye accuracy as their exterior and interior designer colleagues.
“We drove the hybrid 2.0 Modena and 3.0 Trofeo in the city and on the motorway. Both have taught handling and impressive agility,” proclaimed GQ. “The Trofeo, with its extra grunt and addictive baritone, was the attention grabber. Under the hood is a detuned version of the MC20 supercar’s phenomenal Nettuno V6. It’s a masterpiece. Serving up 530bhp, it’ll hit 62mph in just 3.8 seconds.”
Car’s test driver was equally impressed, reporting: “The ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic gearbox is excellent and doesn’t really need the interference of a mere human to go about its business in an efficient manner. But the Grecale proves to be an engaging SUV to drive from the off, so you’re tempted to take control of the gear changing, too.”
With the new Maserati Grecale arriving in the UK later this year, we look forward to getting in touch in due course to offer you a test drive so that you can make your own mind up.
Contact H.R. Owen Maserati to learn more and register your interest.
