GRANDEZZA 37 CA

The flagship of the Grandezza range encompasses the thoughtful design and quality finish we expect from a Finnish boat but a surprise awaits in the way it handles

TESTED Full test of this surprisingly fast, capable but little-known coupé sportscruiser

During a podcast I was listening to recently, a motoring journalist used a phrase that resonated with me. He described a vehicle that he had reviewed as a “car park car”, meaning before he’d even exited the car park having collected it he could sense that, even at low speed, it was a machine with sound dynamics that might be a bit special.

It’s a feeling I shared as we passed along the marina fairway before our sea trial of the flagship Grandezza 37. I had barely even sat inside a Grandezza before testing this one, which was waiting, engines running, before I took to the helm and guided her out of the berth with a few post-lockdown cobwebs lurking in the corner of my brain which deals with boat control. There is something about the feel of the steering, the action of the throttle in and out of gear and ergonomics of the helm station that inform, even in dead slow ahead, that the Grandezza possesses something special beneath its functional exterior.

Great attention has been paid to the configuration of the helm to ensure that any skipper, no matter what shape or size, will be able to get comfortable standing and seated. I spent the majority of the test in the seated position, where the upright chair provides good support and keeps you close enough to the dash to use the major controls and switch gear without having to stretch. You are plugged into the boat, a feeling enhanced by the chunky steering wheel and damped snick of the throttles as you edge them into drive.

An increase in speed brings with it a greater sense of what this boat might be capable of. With Zipwake’s excellent trim system fitted as standard and Volvo Penta Trim Assist taking care of the angle of the sterndrives there is very little to think about for the person on the helm. Surge the throttles forward and as a wave of boost shunts the boat towards the horizon the combined electronic brainpower of Zipwake and Volvo will adjust the trim accordingly. Set the cruising speed and let the boat do the rest. At speed the 37 feels properly alert, alive to even slight adjustments