Maserati Grecale: comparison test with Lexus RS, how they go, technical data

The Maserati Grecale Modena he puts his 330 horses is available in GT, where luxury and comfort are combined when needed with classic Italian games. There Lexus RX 450H+ but it is state of the art hybrid platform of the group Toyota. In addition to the elegant lounge that welcomes those who come on board, i 309 horses generally provided are decidedly more cunning on the one hand, but results in terms of efficiency and utility they are better than that of Italy.

How they are made – outside

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Italian uses Giorgio Forum (same as Alfa Giulia and Stelvio) raised, reaching up to 485 cm, and a speed of 290. The width is 195 cm by the length of 167. Regarding the weight, that of the Grecale in the Modena version is 1,895 kg. Moving to Japanese, length is 489 cm, 285 cm of wheelbase, while the width is 192 cm, and 170 in length. They are on the scale almost 300 kg more than his opponent, for a total of 2,185 kilos. They appear side by side two different interpretations, both lovely, even if the Italian flavor and sense of Grecale games have a different taste compared to the Japanese one. Let’s say that, even if both remain reasonable, with three points on the nose Maserati shows something more than Lexus, which makes depression its trademark.

How they are made – inside

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Going up to the Grecale we find 3 displays and a central one for the weather in the lower part, but the watch also hides another small screen and in fact it could be a compass, a g-indicator and more. Far from elegant environment in terms of materials and solutions (such as doors with electric handles), it can optionally display a very refined sound system. Smith’s voiceand up to 21 speakers. There are also 21 speakers for Lexus RXand the system that is signed here Mark Levinson. The environment is more technological, luxurious and here sound insulation is very high, and solutions and options that pay in this direction. In terms of accommodation it is the same, and Maserati pays on the one hand for a more rear engine to improve weight distribution, and on the other hand 5 cm more wheelbase. Trunk is 535 liters for the Grecale, compared to 461 for the RX (they rise to more than 600 if we measure them at full length).

How they are done – techniques

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Let’s start with the Lexus RX, which uses the same underpinnings as the NX 450H+ that we tested recently, and it inherited from its cousin the Toyota RAV4’s platform. A 2.5-liter Atkinson rotary engine with a capacity of 185 HP, plus two electric motors, 182 HP in the front and 54 in the rear, for a total of 309 HP. The RX can be used in full electric or hybrid mode, in the first case with a range of about 50 km real, 66 in the announced figure. The Italian is a Mini Hybrid known for 330 horsepower, and its two-liter cylinder is capable of producing sports car-like response and sound, with 0-100 achieved in 5.3 seconds, compared to the RX’s 6.5. , which has a top speed of up to 200 km/h for greater efficiency, compared to 240 for the Grecale. The transmission is also different, with an E-CVT on one side, and a sportier eight-speed automatic for Italy.

How are they doing?

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Behind the wheel we find ourselves in front two cars very far from each other, especially if you’re looking for performance. Here it is Greek has a clear advantage, push ed engine sound in GT and Sport modes is incomparable to his opponent. The steel parts connected to the column can be used to shift manually and you can feel that connection with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, one of the most satisfying SUVs in terms of driving pleasure. Even with GT-like steering and car tuning, it remains pleasant and precise through the bends. The 2 liter shows its limits when the speed increases, here more than 300 horsepower is not enough and we understand the reason for the 530 HP Trofeo version in the price list. By switching to Comfort mode, Grecale becomes more agile, you travel with a gas slope and the Mild Hybrid system helps the combustion engine to be more rounded in its output. The suspension also goes from a stiffer setting to a more comfortable one. Moving on to RX here the engines seem to do other work. Power, like paper to its opponent, is here always governed by a logic that focuses more on efficiency. And good The acoustic comfort is truly commendable, which is not available when driving in EV mode. What is lost in terms of sports, is found here in comfort and efficiency, because as we will see usage may deviate significantly from Grecale. As for the quality of the interior, here again the two cars look at each other equally and the fines are worthy of praise for both. It is almost a matter of taste to say which is better.

Conclusion and price

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Message to consumptionThat to Grecale we took a chance in the turn of 10 km / l, it also drops to the 7-8 zone to take advantage of all the performance available, you can go over double figures just by driving very gently on the gas. The rival offers a plug-in hybrid platform and an 18.1 kWh battery that adjusts the average figure slightly, depending on how much is used and recharged. It’s hard to go down 10km/l with it, but you are more likely to achieve an average consumption of around 15 km/l, even more if you manage to travel a good number of km on the battery. Finally the price, along with i 90,700 euros for Maserati Grecale Modena and Lexus RX 450H+ which starts out 90 thousand euros in Executive trim, it increases to 98,000 for Luxury.