Driving report Maserati Grecale Folgore: Italian for advanced drivers

23.03.2024
Michael Specht (journalists)

The fact that Audi and Porsche are bringing their two electric SUV siblings, the Q6 e-tron and the Macan, to the market this summer with a delay of almost two years was probably taken as a positive note at Maserati in Modena. Meanwhile, the Italian luxury brand has its Grecale dealership ready to launch. Using electricity, the SUV is nicknamed Folgore, which translates to electricity.

Maserati is rapidly converting its model portfolio to go electric. The GranTurismo is already available with electric drive. Greek follows the month of May. Next year it will be the turn of the MC20 super sports car, as a coupé and as a Spyder, called Cielo (sky). If everything goes according to plan, the next Levante will be available in 2027 and the new Quattroporte in 2028 on an electric platform from the Stellantis Group, called the Big STLA. And this alone. The era of combustion is over. Ghibli becomes a victim of the conversion process. Its role can be taken in parts of the Quattroporte.

Maserati Grecale Folgore is the most powerful in its series

Maserati has high hopes for Grecale Folgore. A good third of customers are said to choose it, even if the electric model is one of the most expensive in the range at 104,454 euros (all prices net). But it is also more powerful. There is a 205 kW electric motor at the front and rear, provided by Chinese specialists Jin-Jing Electric (JJE). 410 kW is 560 hp. But the generous torque, 820 Newton meters, contributes more to a confident driving experience. Even the best six-cylinder (Nettuno engine) in the Maserati range cannot reach this value.

Vmax in Grecale Folgore is 220 km/h.

Already in the first few kilometers you can see how the electric car adapts to the Grecale well, firmly and reliably. It’s fun to drive. Smoothness is impressive, linear acceleration and power. If you want, the 2.5-ton SUV can jump from standstill to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds.

3 cm higher in off-road conditions

As is common in almost all premium cars today, several driving modes can also be activated in the Grecale Folgore. In “Sport” mode 100 percent of the power is available, “GT” limits the output to 80 and “Range” to 70 percent. However, this limitation can be defeated by a bold step on the accelerator pedal (kick-down ), for example to quickly cross. The fourth mode is called “Offroad”. Standard air suspension raises the car up to 3 centimeters and increases ground clearance. Thanks to the all-wheel drive, traveling on light terrain is also possible.

There is no reversing camera and GPS navigation

What the Grecale Folgore cannot do is adjust itself using the camera and GPS navigation. The deceleration of electric machines must be adjusted manually using the rockers plus minus on the steering wheel. Triple minus means maximum deceleration (single pedal driving).

Technically, Grecale is based on what is known as the Giorgio platform. Although it was primarily designed for combustion engines, Maserati engineers already had the idea of ​​integrating a battery-electric pack in the back of their minds. It was therefore possible to create space in the floor for a usable battery capacity of 96 kWh. This is still a good result compared to competitors. On the other hand: Grecale Folgore also urgently needs a large supply of energy. Because during our tests in the south of Italy we did not get a display below 100 km. That is very strong. So the battery will be empty after more than 300 km. According to the WLTP standard, Maserati promises up to 501 km.

Maximum charging power of 150 kW

It is not clear why the developers decided only on the maximum charging power of 150 kW. It is now being surpassed even by volume sellers such as VW and Skoda. High charging performance enables short idle time at the charging station, which is rarely a good place to spend time. It takes half an hour to restore the memory to 80 percent of its capacity, starting from 20 percent. However, we have heard from Maserati strategists that they want to make improvements as part of the upcoming design improvement measures.

Grecale Folgore customers get Wallbox

As a small compensation, a Grecale Folgore customer is given a wall box for their garage at home. Charging can be done in three phases and up to 22 kW. And the Italians have another gift in store, calling it the “Luxury Charging Experience”: Through a partnership with Bosch, they were able to access 96 percent of all charging points across Europe, 650,000 in total, using just one card. Record value.

Visually, the Folgore version differs only slightly from its combustion engine variants. The grill is designed differently, the three side “noses” are illuminated, the rims are given a special aero design and the writing is in bronze color. Tone can also be found in decorations and in fabrics in the interior. By the way, respect must be given to Grecale Folgore here. You feel very comfortable in the SUV, the materials and workmanship are top-notch, everything looks right.

A decent trunk with a volume of 535 liters

With the Folgore version there is no need to make any sacrifices in terms of space and luggage. The trunk still has 535 liters as in the strong hybrid variant. There is a compartment for the charging cable under the carpet. This is less if there are loads in the trunk. The cable will be more practical in the so-called front frunk under the hood. But with the new electric technology in the Maserati SUV, there was no room left for that.

Maserati Grecale Folgore – Technische Daten

A five-door, five-seater SUV
Height: 4.87 Meters
Width: 1.95 meters (including glass 2.16 meters)
Height: 1.65 meters
Wheelbase: 2.90 meters
Trunk volume: 535 liters
2 electric motors
gems 205 kW
System performance: 560 HP
maximum torque: 820 Nm
all wheels
Direct entry
0-100 km/h: 4.1 s
Maximum speed: 220 km / h
Battery capacity: net 96 kWh
Distance: 426 – 501 km
max. DC-Ladeleistung 150 kW
Typical consumption: 24.0 kWh/100 km
CO2 emissions: 0 g/km
Efficiency class: A+
Price: from 104,454 euros

Short character

Why: because the electric drive is more suitable for this SUV
Why not: very high price
What else: Porsche Macan, Audi Q6 e-tron, Mercedes EQE SUV
When is he coming: ab mai