A midsize crossover with a 500+ horsepower turbocharged V6 and all-wheel drive sounds just like the stuff efficiency automobiles are product of. You’d be proper about that with the Maserati Grecale Trofeo. It’s a rattling good performer. When that efficiency comes connected with a six-figure price ticket although, you begin to query sure issues.
Seeing as my colleague Kyle Haytt bought an opportunity to drive the Grecale earlier this 12 months, I received’t get into an excessive amount of trivia with this assessment. It’s all the time nice to method automobiles from completely different views.
Full Disclosure: The good individuals at Maserati have been form sufficient to lend me a Grecale Trofeo over the Thanksgiving vacation. It bought me and my household to our households homes in fast, Italian-tailored model.
What It Is And How Much It Costs
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 lately redesigned GranTurismo, Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia and randomly, the WL Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Pricing for the Grecale begins at slightly below $64,000. Of course, you need to pay to play. The Grecale Trofeo sits on the prime 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 a giant efficiency engine in a car you wouldn’t count on it to be in. In this case, that engine is the center of the MC20 supercar. While 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 individuals round you in 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. Turn is sweet for a virtually 4,500-pound crossover. An auto-adjusting air suspension helps with holding its middle of gravity low so that you just 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 — an odd mode in an providing like this — Comfort, GT (the default mode), Sport, and Corsa. These could be chosen by a dial on the steering wheel. Within 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 very best setting as you get the appropriate efficiency out of the engine whereas nonetheless being comfy sufficient for on a regular basis driving. Corsa mode is nearly an excessive amount of. The suspension turns into so stiff it borders on insufferable and the Grecale virtually feels unsettled.
What’s Not So Great
That unsettling feeling was all the time there whereas I drove the Grecale. I’m unsure if it was this explicit automobile or what, however actually stepping into its efficiency is once you discover it, be it from a cease mild, to go and even stepping into the brakes when coming down from pace. I’d need to get it on a observe below some exhausting use to see if it that feeling lasts. Around city although it was virtually like making an attempt to maintain an excited canine on a leash below management.
The Grecale has a properly crafted inside, however some components of it simply weren’t good to me, specifically the push button gear selector and the large paddle shifters. The paddle shifters are superbly made out of actual steel. However, they’re large — 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 presupposed to be, however they have an inclination 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 be one of many worst I’ve utilized in any car. I do know automakers are getting out of placing gear levers in automobiles to create more room, however in the event you’re going to go that route that you must get it proper. And Maserati doesn’t get it proper right here. You virtually need to lengthy press the button to get the automobile in gear; fast presses will end in nothing taking place and could be doubtlessly hazardous. For occasion, say you’re parked in your driveway and must reverse. Someone nonetheless on a studying curve with this factor will shortly hit “D” to start out driving after reversing however nonetheless be in reverse, doubtlessly leading to you plowing into one thing.
There have been additionally just a few high quality points I encountered that I hope have been simply a difficulty 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 fully out. Once 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 gas. While 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 lots of spirited driving.
The worst drawback although was the CEL (verify engine mild) 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 section the place that may be fairly uncommon. While 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. Sure you possibly can decide up extra fundamental variations for below $70,000, however it’s six-figure value places it on one other stage. A Porsche Macan GTS would in all probability value comparable (or extra with choices), however it’s the benchmark for the section. A BMW X3 M will carry out almost the identical for means much less cash. Even Stellantis’ personal Alfa Romeo will promote you a Stelvio Quadrifoglio that performs the identical for much less. Or you might go make your cash make sense and purchase an precise sports activities automobile with that $118,000+. However, in the event you do find yourself going for the Grecale Trofeo, you received’t be disillusioned, however you would possibly find yourself rethinking if it’s price it.
Source: jalopnik.com