Road test: Maserati Grecale GT
Got $120k for a new SUV? Bet you didn’t think you could afford a Maserati, writes Nile Bijoux.
The Grecale launched last year from Maserati, the first new massproduction vehicle in nearly 10 years, and it’s been a steady seller for the Italian brand. It comfortably outsold the larger (and much older) Levante last year, with most of the registrations being the top-spec Trofeo. Which is understandable, given the Nettuno V6 is a seriously awesome engine.
But we know the GT and Modena aren’t slouches either. This is the GT, the entry point to the range, sharing the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the Modena but making 220kW/450Nm, rather than 242kW.
Those figures might sound modest, being roughly equivalent to the current crop of hot hatches, but they’re still enough to send the GT to 100kph in
5.6 seconds.
That’s partly because the engine is a mild hybrid, benefiting from a small electric motor to add a bit of power when needed, as well as to cut down on fuel usage.
It consists of a belt starter generator (BSG), a 48-volt battery and an ‘e-Booster’ which essentially acts as a small electric turbocharger by filling the torque curve before the larger turbo kicks in.
It’s paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive so off-the-line thrust is indeed impressive. The transmission makes pleasing barrupps on high-rev upshifts, while the engine itself sounds angrier than you might expect from a luxury mid-size SUV – in a good way, of course.
Though, despite the added electrification, the GT is still pretty thirsty, notching close to 13L/100km of fuel consumption after a week of driving.
There was some fairly liberal use of Sport mode and the gas pedals, so perhaps a more relaxed driver could eke better mileage out of it, but it’d take some effort to hit the claimed 8.7L/100km. A drive mode knob on the wheel cycles between Comfort, GT and Sport, with the former two quietening things down nicely. Sport does the usual sharpening of many things, turning the Grecale into a surprisingly sporting driver.
Well, maybe it’s not that surprising – Maserati used the same Giorgio platform as found underneath Alfa Romeo’s Giulia and Stelvio, which is superb.
The Grecale feels neutral through the corners, the AWD system feeding more power rearward to enhance the drive and reduce understeer, which doesn’t rear its ugly head much thanks as well to a relatively low 1870kg mass.
The steering is sharp without being too twitchy and even with the lowest output figures in the range, I never felt the GT was lacking in power. Perhaps if you took the Autobahn every day
you might feel differently, but not so much on our roads.
It looks great on the move too, with the big scalloped grille split by the Maserati trident, vertically oriented lights, chunky corner intakes and the trio of vents just above the front wheel. The GT gets a quartet of exhaust pipes, two of which open up in Sport mode for added noise.
Recessed door handles help improve aero while keeping the profile slim, and work well. Buttons on the inside mimic the mechanism.
There’s no adaptive dampers here, but the suspension tune is fine for our roads. Perhaps slightly tuned toward comfort at the expense of some body roll in the corners, but that’s much more on brand for a medium SUV.
Despite that, the Grecale is genuinely nice to cruise in, even with optional 21-inch wheels. Plenty of leather and comfort seats in the cabin helps as well.
Speaking of which, the interior is pretty much identical between the models. The GT still gets four total screens inside – two in the middle for infotainment and comfort settings, one behind the wheel, and a digital clock – as well as a Sonos faber sound system with laser-cut aluminium grilles on the tweeters and mid-range speakers.
I still don’t really like the gear selector buttons but you can use the paddles to shift between reverse and drive, which helps. The screens are also fairly susceptible to fingerprints.
This specific GT had 12-way powered and heated front seats, both optional, along with active lane-keeping, traffic sign recognition, a head-up display and wireless phone charging. All options I would recommend, but all of which bump the price to $147,610 from the base $124,000. That’s a big jump, and is exactly how much the Modena costs.
Going to the Modena gets you more power, adaptive dampers and better standard equipment. If you don’t want or need the optional extras (the $9150 wheels could probably go, really), the GT represents great value.
In price, it’s right below the entry Porsche Macan, which is less interesting to look at, less powerful and has a similarly expensive options list.
Personally, I’d go with the Italian, especially if the standard specification
list has all you need.