First Look Review: Maserati Grecale Folgore is elegantly Italian

The Maserati Grecale Folgore is the Modena-based luxury brand’s first electric SUV on the market. It’ll still be a few months before it begins arriving at U.S. dealers, but I’ve already had an opportunity to explore it in person at the 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show that took place in March. Here is my experience with the Italian zero-emission mid-size luxury SUV:

Design

The Maserati Grecale Folgore has a fluidic and emotional design that emphasizes on style and elegance than toughness or aggressiveness like a typical SUV. Maserati says the Grecale Folgore is free of ostentation, and this was evident that when I saw it in person. Skipping a gigantic grille, split headlights, black or gray-colored wheel arch trim, and skid plates, it was clear to me that the Italian designers aren’t trying to hard-sell the obvious attributes of its body style.

At the front, a dark concave grille gives the Maserati Grecale Folgore a sporty look in a low-key manner, and that’s where the prominent Trident lies. The curvy headlights, inspired by those of the MC20, give the SUV an emotional look. I liked the swoopy side air inlets and the dips in the hood as well.

I think the minimalist side profile is essential to the Grecale Folgore’s clean and graceful character. The illuminated small side air vents and cursive “Folgore” inscription on the front quarter panel and the Trident logo on the trapezoidal C-pillar communicate class and sophistication. The crossover is hoisted on 20-inch aero wheels. At the rear, the Grecale gets boomerang-shaped tail lamps which draw inspiration from the Giugiaro 3200 GT.

Considering the Grecale Folgore’s luxury status and steep pricing — EUR 127,100 (USD 136,149) in Italy, I was disappointed to find the charge port door was manually operated. Moreover, the caps of the charging ports had a spring (pull-back) action, which means customers would have both their hands occupied, as they’d need to hold those flaps open with one hand and plug in the charging gun with the other hand. I found the rear-end a little hum-drum compared to the front and side profile.

Production of the Maserati Grecale takes place alongside the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, its corporate cousin, in Piedimonte San Germano, Italy. I didn’t find inconsistent panel gaps on this Rame Folgore-colored paint. Rame Folgore is the model’s communication color, and it felt exceptionally smooth. The copper-shade paint was developed using iridescent pigments to distinguish the EV from the gasoline variants, and from my experience, it goes well with the Folgore’s design.

Interior

As a 5’7” tall person, I had no issue with ingress or egress in the Maserati Grecale Folgore. I first sat in the driver’s seat and noticed that there were high-quality, smooth-touch materials all around, even in the parts located in the lower areas, which customers may not see or touch frequently. However, the metal-look trim pieces in certain areas did not match the high quality expected in such an expensive vehicle.

I had about six inches of headroom in the lowest position of the driver’s seat. The driver’s seat seemed to have some issues, though, as many times its electric adjustment buttons failed to function. Perhaps, the electronics software is still in the works. The lumbar support was good, too. The driver’s seat felt pretty supportive because of the thick side bolstering. The under-thigh support could’ve been slightly better. I doubt I’d have any visibility issues on the road in this e-SUV.

The compact steering wheel wasn’t too thick and felt good to hold. It had buttons, switches, and knobs for various controls, offering a tactile feedback. The 12.3-inch infotainment and 8.8-inch comfort touchscreens were easy to comprehend, sufficiently bright, and showed no lag in responses. I also felt that the digital clock above the screens was a neat touch. Considering the EV’s steep pricing, I was disappointed by the fact that Maserati didn’t include massage seats or even offered them optionally.

I was easily able to enter and exit the Grecale Folgore in the rear, too. Sitting right behind the driver’s seat, I had just about three inches of headroom, so tall passengers wouldn’t feel all that comfortable here on a roadtrip. The legroom was excellent, and the knee room was also good. The backrest was fixed and I found its angle a bit upright. I felt the lumbar support could’ve been slightly better.

I noticed some cost-cutting in the lower part of the rear doors. Unlike the front doors, the rear doors employed hard plastic without any padding. However, just like the front doors, they featured electronic unlocking.

Specifications

The Maserati Grecale Folgore employs two motors, one one each axle. Together, these generate 410 kW (550 hp) and 820 Nm (605 lb.-ft.) of torque, allowing the EV to hit 0 to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds and attain a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). An air suspension is standard in the Grecale Folgore.

Maserati uses a 105 kWh battery pack that operates at 400 volts and is chargeable at up to 22 kW (AC)/150 kW (DC) in the Grecale Folgore. With a DC charger, charging from 20 to 80% SoC takes 29 minutes. On a full charge, the Grecale Folgore can travel up to 500 km (311 miles), as per WLTP.

Price & Release Date

Scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in Summer 2024, the Maserati Grecale Folgore will likely retail at around USD 100,000. The SUV will be imported from the Cassino plant in Piedimonte San Germano, Italy.

TopElectricSUV says

It’s hard not to be smitten by the Maserati Grecale Folgore. The Italian SUV promises plenty of style, distinctiveness, fun on the highways, and, on some level, comfort, too.

That said, I feel that its pricing is an issue. It lacks certain essential features like an electrically-operated charge port door and massage seats which matter considering its projected six-digit MSRP. Moreover, both the charging speed and driving range might not meet the expectations of all buyers who could think that alternatives from Germany and Sweden are better overall.

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