What do we know about the Maserati Grecale so far?
The luxury SUV world is a ferociously competitive one, and Maserati is working on the forthcoming Grecale to try and compete against titans like BMW, Porsche and Jaguar — to name just a few. On Wednesday, the Italian automaker announced it would reveal the production model on November 16 in Milan, as a smaller sibling to the existing Levante.
So far, there have been some camouflaged prototypes running about, as you typically see leading up to a formal reveal. As for the name itself, ‘Grecale’ refers to a type of Mediterranean wind — a theme the brand’s used several times over the years. Ghibli and Levante are two current examples, while other cars like Mistral, Bora and Merak have gone down that road as well. There’s not too much other information we know with certainty, other than Maserati will build it alongside the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. That could provide some clues, but we’ll have to wait and see to know for sure.
Hybrid and all-electric versions are coming
The most likely outcome for the Maserati Grecale is to launch with familiar powertrains from the Stelvio. That means a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder option may be on the table. Honestly, I’d be surprised if it wasn’t, since virtually all its competitors pack a 2.0-liter at some point in their lineups. A more interesting proposition would be the 505 horsepower 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 from the Quadrifoglio, though. That would give quite a bit of grunt to take on, say, the Porsche Macan, while also offering up some bespoke Maserati luxury.
When it does arrive, the Grecale will stare down quite the spread of rivals, its own Alfa Romeo cousin notwithstanding. Beyond the Macan, there’s the Audi SQ5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, as well as the Jaguar E-Pace, among many others.
Pricing will likely remain under wraps for awhile longer, but the Maserati Grecale should head into production at Stellantis’ Cassino, Italy plant in early 2022.
