Maserati's new small SUV, the Grecale, is now on sale in North America starting at $63,000, and it needs to succeed. The compact crossover luxury segment is hot, and Maserati needs to crack the mass market if it's to carry on building supercars and luxury grand tourers, fund its EV development, and race in Formula E.
The Maserati Grecale pitches up against the less expensive Porsche Macan ($57,500) in the segment, and Maserati is leaning heavily into its four-cylinder mild hybrid engine for the main models, while the high-performance Trofeo trim features Maserati's flagship engine, the twin-turbo V6 Nettuno engine. This version of the MC20 supercar's engine makes 523 horsepower, and all versions feature an all-wheel-drive system.
"Grecale launches a new segment for the iconic Maserati brand, and further legitimizes Maserati as a purveyor of luxury performance SUVs," said Bill Peffer, CEO of Maserati Americas. "Like our flagship Levante SUV, Grecale will strategically broaden our presence in North America by appealing to a wider group of discerning customers through its performance with the Trofeo version's MC20-derived Nettuno V6 engine, its bold lines, timeless design, and numerous best-in-class features."
It's a late entry into the lucrative segment that most premium automakers have been exploiting while having a lot of fun for a while now. On paper, the Grecale has all the specs needed to deliver luxury hot-hatch-like performance.
The first two trims in the Grecale lineup, the GT and Modena, arrive with four-cylinder mild hybrid engines making 296 horsepower and 325 horsepower, respectively. The top of the range is the 523 hp Trofeo model, and all come with an eight-speed automatic transmission. There are three suspension and rear differential variants throughout the range. The more luxurious Modena starts at $72,900, while the Trofeo starts at $102,500.
Maserati's pricing over the Porsche Macan is likely justified internally by its standard features, which include a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, an 8.8-inch or 12.3-inch touchscreen display, a head-up display, a 14-speaker Sonos audio system, Maserati Intelligent Assistant, and a wearable key. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and SiriusXM compatibility are also standard.