With the Grecale Trofeo, Maserati would have you believe that the sporty crossover is more than just a fancy-suited Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. The two Italian high-riding machines share the Giorgio platform, but the model from Modena has a different engine. The MC20 has lent its twin-turbo V6 for the flagship version producing 523 hp and 620 Nm (457 lb-ft) of torque. We can see Nettuno working at breakneck speed on the Autobahn.
Maserati says the Grecale Trofeo does 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.8 seconds and 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) in 13.8 seconds. That seems perfectly plausible as the beefy cross seems quite fast despite being quite a hog as it weighs in at 2,027 kilograms (4,468 pounds). It also sounds less shabby in this day and age when the gasoline particulate filters installed on European-spec cars mute the engine.
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With an empty stretch of highway ahead, the Italian Porsche Macan tops out at 183 mph (294 km/h). That’s actually quite a bit more than Maserati claims (177 mph or 285 km/h) but modern speedometers tend to show slightly higher speeds than they actually are. Top speed aside, it’s the acceleration that’s most impressive as the V6 pulls hard and seems to have plenty of resources regardless of gear.
Models like the Grecale and the larger Levante will need to be commercially successful for Maserati to keep its traditional sports car alive. Luckily, Stellantis has funded the development of the new GranTurismo and even put out an electric and convertible version. The aforementioned MC20 gets some track-specific derivatives (Project24 and GT2) and a droptop Cielo, not to mention an electric conversion as well.
Speaking of EVs, Grecale will receive the Folgore treatment as well to counter the Macan EV due for release in 2024. There’s still plenty of time to get your hands on an ICE-powered Maserati as a complete switch to an electric model won’t happen until 2030. In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how the Nettuno powered version of the newly released GranTurismo will compete with the tri-motor EV variant.
