The small Maserati Grecale has big ambitions in South Africa

The anticipated Grecale is officially here in South Africa, launched to media, customers and potential customers in Johannesburg last night. It is now the entry point into Maserati ownership starting from R1 650 000.

The Grecale, named after a strong Mediterranean wind is the smallest sportscar SUV in the range slotting in below the Levante and in direct competition to cars like the Porsche Macan. Offered at launch in 3 derivatives and with 2 powertrain choices the Grecale is ably endowed and should meet the expectations of those joining the brand for the first time or those who have been with the brand and already have the expectation of Italian luxury and performance.

The Grecale GT is the entry point sporting a 4-cylinder, 223 kW mild-hybrid heart. The GT Modena ups the power output to 247 kW and then the most powerful Trofeo version unleashes 395 kW from a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo V6 engine.

The slowest of these cars will rush from 0 -100 km/h in 6.0-seconds flat so there’s no denying that on paper at least, the Grecale remains a sportcar. But the new SUV also sports a raft of driving modes that bring the car in line with what the SUV is all about – versatility. The Grecale is an all-wheel drive vehicle with Comfort, GT, Sport & Corsa (in the Trofeo only) and then Off-Road for improved adventure / gravel travel.

Its design is remains firmly within what we’ve come to expect from the Italian marque with the requisite brand-building lines, badges and colour choices. It cuts a larger frame than its Macan competitor and within that, also boasts larger interior room. Interior appointments are all new compared with what we have locally. The attention to detail and the material mix are premium and the layout of the digital interfaces with 2 x 12.3-inch touchscreens and then another 8-inch comfort touchscreen is spectacular, certainly one of standouts of the cabin. With voice activation and a very detailed and feature-rich cabin, the Grecale is very impressive, judging from the limited time we got to see and sit inside the car. A full review will be coming to TopGear SA channels in early 2023.

Launch pricing is as follows:

·       Grecale GT:               R1 650 000

·       Grecale Modena:       R1 950 000        

·       Grecale Trofeo:         R2 550 000

The Grecale Folgore is also scheduled to make its debut in 2023 as the first all-electric Maserati on local soil.