Maserati’s Grecale Trofeo Is A Quick And Costly Query Mark

A midsize crossover with a 500+ horsepower turbocharged V6 and all-wheel drive sounds just like the stuff efficiency vehicles are product of. You’d be proper about that with the Maserati Grecale Trofeo. It’s a rattling good performer. When that efficiency comes hooked up with a six-figure price ticket although, you begin to query sure issues.

Seeing as my colleague Kyle Haytt received an opportunity to drive the Grecale earlier this 12 months, I gained’t get into an excessive amount of trivia with this assessment. It’s at all times nice to strategy autos from totally different views.

Full Disclosure: The great folks at Maserati have been variety sufficient to lend me a Grecale Trofeo over the Thanksgiving vacation. It received me and my household to our households homes in fast, Italian-tailored fashion.

What It Is And How A lot It Prices

The Grecale was launched in 2022 and is the model’s second SUV after the Levante. It rides on Stellantis’ Giorgio platform that it shares with the not too long ago redesigned GranTurismo, Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia and randomly, the WL Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Pricing for the Grecale begins at slightly below $64,000. After all, it’s a must to pay to play. The Grecale Trofeo sits on the high of the lineup and begins at $105,500. With choices like a $3,100 driver help bundle, a $4,200 premium bundle and $1,200 LED headlights, my Grecale Trofeo tester prices $118,260.

How It Drives

Maserati did one thing with the Grecale that extra automakers must do, they threw an enormous efficiency engine in a car you wouldn’t count on it to be in. On this case, that engine is the guts of the MC20 supercar. Whereas the three.0-liter turbocharged V6 makes 621 horsepower within the MC20, within the Grecale Trofeo it’s been detuned to a nonetheless not unhealthy 523 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. Paired with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed computerized transmission, it’s sufficient to hustle the Grecale Trofeo to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds earlier than it tops out at 177 mph.

This factor is quick. What makes it even higher is that folks round you in site visitors virtually don’t count on it to be sports activities automobile quick. The engine pulls exhausting and powerful all the best way to redline and sounds unbelievable whereas doing it. Flip is sweet for a virtually 4,500-pound crossover. An auto-adjusting air suspension helps with preserving its heart of gravity low so that you simply don’t get a not-so-gentle reminder that it’s nonetheless a crossover within the curves.

The Trofeo comes with 5 drive modes: off-road — a wierd mode in an providing like this — Consolation, GT (the default mode), Sport, and Corsa. These might be chosen by a dial on the steering wheel. Inside that dial is a button that places the suspension out and in of a sport setting. You’re going to need to keep in Sport mode. It’s the perfect setting as you get the best efficiency out of the engine whereas nonetheless being snug sufficient for on a regular basis driving. Corsa mode is sort of an excessive amount of. The suspension turns into so stiff it borders on insufferable and the Grecale virtually feels unsettled.

What’s Not So Nice

That unsettling feeling was at all times there whereas I drove the Grecale. I’m unsure if it was this explicit automobile or what, however actually entering into its efficiency is while you discover it, be it from a cease gentle, to go and even entering into the brakes when coming down from velocity. I’d must get it on a monitor beneath some exhausting use to see if it that feeling lasts. Round city although it was virtually like making an attempt to maintain an excited canine on a leash beneath management.

The Grecale has a effectively crafted inside, however some components of it simply weren’t good to me, specifically the push button gear selector and the massive paddle shifters. The paddle shifters are superbly made out of actual metallic. Nevertheless, they’re big — I’d guess a minimum of eight-ten inches lengthy — and don’t transfer with the wheel. I do know that’s how they’re speculated to be, however they have a tendency to get in the best way, and generally it appeared like if I wasn’t cautious the underside of the paddle would hit the highest of my knee.

The push-button gear selector can also be one of many worst I’ve utilized in any car. I do know automakers are getting out of placing gear levers in vehicles to create extra space, however if you happen to’re going to go that route that you must get it proper. And Maserati doesn’t get it proper right here. You virtually must lengthy press the button to get the automobile in gear; fast presses will end in nothing occurring and might be doubtlessly hazardous. For example, say you’re parked in your driveway and must reverse. Somebody nonetheless on a studying curve with this factor will shortly hit “D” to begin driving after reversing however nonetheless be in reverse, doubtlessly leading to you plowing into one thing.

There have been additionally a couple of high quality points I encountered that I hope have been simply a problem on the car I had:

• The entrance passenger seat didn’t appear to be bolted down correctly and would barely transfer and wobble with sure physique actions.
• I didn’t get an opportunity to actually expertise the 3D encompass sound coming from the 21-speaker Sonus Faber sound system as a result of the speaker within the driver-side door was utterly out. As soon as it randomly got here again in, the sound from it wasn’t as loud as the remainder of the audio system.
• Lastly, that 3.0-liter V6’s efficiency comes with a value you pay on the pump. This factor has a V8-like thirst for premium gasoline. Whereas the federal government says the Grecale Trofeo ought to get 18 mpg metropolis/25 mpg freeway/20 mpg mixed, I averaged between 14.8-15 mpg. And that’s not with numerous spirited driving.

The worst drawback although was the CEL (verify engine gentle) that randomly illuminated on me one morning as I went to get espresso. This resulted within the automobile sitting in my driveway untouched for the final 4 days it was with me. A bizarre factor to occur in a automobile with simply over 4,000 miles on it.

Verdict 

The Grecale Trofeo has unbelievable efficiency in a phase the place that may be fairly uncommon. Whereas a few of these high quality points I encountered gave me pause, what would actually make me assume twice about contemplating the Grecale Trofeo is its value. Positive you’ll be able to choose up extra primary variations for beneath $70,000, nevertheless it’s six-figure value places it on one other stage. A Porsche Macan GTS would in all probability value related (or extra with choices), nevertheless it’s the benchmark for the phase. A BMW X3 M will carry out practically the identical for approach much less cash. Even Stellantis’ personal Alfa Romeo will promote you a Stelvio Quadrifoglio that performs the identical for much less. Or you may go make your cash make sense and purchase an precise sports activities automobile with that $118,000+. Nevertheless, if you happen to do find yourself going for the Grecale Trofeo, you gained’t be disillusioned, however you may find yourself rethinking if it’s value it.