Ever since the brand’s revival in 2020, Maserati has been in a state of flux. Untethered from Ferrari it has carved out a new identity for itself, backed by a world-class 3.0-litre, twin-turbo V6 “Nettuno” engine that it has developed in-house.
It’s the engine that powers the brilliant Maserati MC20 and it is the beating heart of the Stellantis-owned brand. Still, as good as the MC20 is, it remains a halo car.
Maserati’s first big sales success in recent times came from the Levante so it stands to reason that a follow-up act would tread similar ground. That’s what the Grecale SUV is about.
A more compact but just as luxurious everyday SUV, boasting flamboyant Italian styling and far better driving dynamics than the larger Levante. The Grecale is the latest weapon in Maserati’s offensive to sustain sales momentum and keep the brand in the green. Having officially arrived in India in three forms – GT, Modena and Trofeo – it goes up against the likes of the Porsche Macan GTS. The Looks
Carrying over classic good looks from the old genepool and applying it to a modern-SUV form rarely works. Which is why I’ve never been particularly keen on the modern-day chimaera that is the “coupe-SUV”. The Grecale is different. In fact, it’s probably the best-looking compact luxury SUV there is. Everything about it is proportionate.
From the size of the grille to the headlamps, there’s nothing that’s protruding or exaggerated for effect and that lends a certain classic aspect to the Grecale making it look objectively pretty. Unlike most SUVs trying desperately to look like sports cars, this is an exercise in restraint, which in turn, makes the Grecale look sportier and more purposeful than its rivals, while still reminding you that this is very much an SUV.
Performance
That is, until you drive it. Having driven the Levante Trofeo around the Sepang circuit a couple of years ago, its on-track dynamics did leave a fair bit to be desired. The Levante Trofeo was a bit lumpy, its size didn’t make for sharp cornering and on the whole, it was an instrument of linear, straight-line speed. Not the case with the Grecale Trofeo which is a considerably sharper track tool. It gets the same Nettuno V6 powertrain as the MC20 (and the Gran Turismo ) albeit one that’s detuned to put out 523 hp. This results in a sub-4 second dash to 100kph, but that’s not even the most impressive aspect of the Trofeo. The real wonder lies in how it manages to dish-out Porsche beating performance when tackling G-forces.
It’s got an eight-speed automatic gearbox sending power to all four wheels, so there’s plenty of grip even though it's more rear-biased in “Corsa” mode. With 620 Nm of torque, there’s always enough for press-and-go performance at any given point. Performance which is always accompanied by a crisp engine note that punches above what its cubic capacity would suggest. Sure, there’s a whiff of turbo lag but Maserati’s in-house “twin combustion” technology makes this V6 outperform several others in the market. The Trofeo pulls cleanly ahead, with plenty of power to spare.
The Trofeo also comes with adaptive dampers and air suspension as standard, which helps it switch character from a reasonably pointy, if not razor sharp track tool to a plush and luxurious soft-roader. Given its large rear diffuser and the glossy, black lip on its bumper, you’d be bonkers to take this thing off-road. But on Indian roads, with constant undulations, the Trofeo should be able to outperform pretty much any sports car.
Interiors
Plenty of top-shelf contemporary interior technology finds its way to the cabin of the Trofeo. A rich, all-black, leather-clad interior with a 12.3-inch touchscreen with another 8.8-inch lower touchscreen unit handling HVAC and other controls.
Once again, the latter half could have just as easily been a few buttons, which are considerably easier to operate on the go, but Maserati is out to make a point that its cars are just as contemporary and bleeding-edge as any luxury carmaker. The best feature has to be the long, impeccably machined paddle shifters – the only visual indicators of the fact that this is a performance-derivative of a luxury car. Verdict
Now that the Grecale and its high-powered variants have officially entered the Indian market, don’t expect them to make a huge splash. Which is lamentable because the Grecale has a lot more personality and character than the Macan S, accomplished though the latter might be. There’s a sense of theatre and occasion to the Grecale that no other compact performance SUV has. It’s gorgeously styled, dripping with character and if all that doesn’t mean much to the performance enthusiast, it has actual acceleration figures to back its home-grown engine.
The Grecale is now under greater pressure than it was when it being conceived. Given the global slowdown in EV sales, Maserati needs the Grecale to be a sales success as the brand’s upcoming electric offerings face an uncertain future. At Rs 2.05 crore (ex-showroom) it’s yet another halo product for Maserati’s SUV portfolio, but it goes a long way in proving that Maserati can still work their magic, even when it comes to SUVs.
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