Maserati Grecale review – a dressed up Alfa Stelvio, or something more?
Maserati is on the front foot with the fabulous MC20 and new GranTurismo – can the Grecale deliver some of that magic in an SUV?
It took a while for Maserati to jump on the SUV gravy train, but it feels like we’ve waited even longer to try its latest entry – the Grecale – in its final form following its 2021 reveal. Based on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio but thoroughly redesigned, refinished and re-engineered to deliver a stronger blend of luxury and performance, the Grecale aims to steal market share from the likes of the Porsche Macan and Jaguar's F-Pace.
The Grecale arrives off the back of Maserati’s latest renaissance, headed up by the fabulous MC20 supercar and the new GranTurismo. It shares certain design and tech elements with those cars, but the bit you really care about is the engine – the Trofeo model gets an MC20-derived 3-litre twin-turbo V6, a unit we know can offer captivating character and huge performance.
The Grecale is also available in a cheaper four-cylinder guise, and we've tested both engines in the UK to discover whether Maserati’s stellar current form has spread to its most mainstream model yet. Halo products are all well and good, but this is the car that could shape the brand's fortunes for years to come.
Maserati Grecale: in detail
- Engine, gearbox and technical highlights > Alfa’s Giorgio platform combines with an MC20-derived engine in the Trofeo – GT and Modena versions get a mild-hybrid four-pot
- Performance and 0-60 time > Four-cylinder Grecale’s are hot-hatch quick, but the Trofeo steps up several notches with its 523bhp V6
- Ride and handling > The Grecale lacks the duality of rivals like the F-Pace SVR; it’s neither as indulgent nor as comfortable
- MPG and running costs > Four-cylinder models get mild-hybrid tech for respectable fuel economy, with the Trofeo dropping into mid-to-low 20s
- Interior and tech > The highlight of the package, the Grecale’s cabin is sumptuous, well made and nicely detailed
- Design > The Grecale is classy, handsome and more subdued than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, even if there’s a whiff of Ford Puma about it
Price and rivals
This is where the Grecale becomes unstuck, whichever version you choose; it’s simply too expensive not only for what it is - a reworked Alfa Romeo Stelvio - but also what it competes with.
The 296bhp four-cylinder Grecale GT comes in at £63,970, where Porsche’s more rewarding, more powerful V6-engined Macan S costs £59,800. The uprated 325bhp four-pot in the Grecale Modena still lacks the smoothness and character of a six-cylinder engine yet commands just shy of £71,000, putting it right in the firing line of the stonking 434bhp Macan GTS. It’s hard to think of any area bar interior design and boot capacity that the Porsche doesn’t trump the Grecale.
If you want your Grecale with an engine that feels more deserving of a Maserati badge, it’ll cost you. A lot. The V6-engined Trofeo costs a frankly absurd £102,480, and it’s completely misaligned with its key competitors. Jaguar’s F-Pace SVR has a wonderful 5-litre supercharged V8 and a dynamic finesse that few – if any – midsize SUVs can match, yet it undercuts the Trofeo by £15,390. The Jaguar’s cabin doesn’t have the bespoke, ultra-prestige feel of the Maserati’s, but it's just as spacious and the tech is more intuitive.
Then there’s the Grecale’s blood relative, the recently facelifted Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. For what it lacks in cabin quality and technology, it makes up for with a snorting 2.9-litre 510bhp V6 and a more engaging drive than the Maserati – and all for a cheaper £87,195 list price.
