A midsize crossover with a 500+ horsepower turbocharged V6 and all-wheel force sounds just like the stuff efficiency automobiles are manufactured from. You’d be proper about that with the Maserati Grecale Trofeo. It’s a rattling excellent performer. When that efficiency comes connected with a six-figure ticket although, you begin to query positive issues.

Seeing as my colleague Kyle Haytt were given an opportunity to force the Grecale previous this 12 months, I gained’t get into an excessive amount of trivialities with this overview. It’s at all times nice to way cars from other views.

Complete Disclosure: The nice folks at Maserati have been sort sufficient to lend me a Grecale Trofeo over the Thanksgiving vacation. It were given me and my circle of relatives to our households homes in fast, Italian-tailored taste.

What It Is And How A lot It Prices

The Grecale was once presented in 2022 and is the emblem’s 2d SUV after the Levante. It rides on Stellantis’ Giorgio platform that it stocks with the just lately redesigned GranTurismo, Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia and randomly, the WL Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Pricing for the Grecale begins at slightly below $64,000. In fact, you must pay to play. The Grecale Trofeo sits on the best of the lineup and begins at $105,500. With choices like a $3,100 motive force help package deal, a $4,200 top rate package deal and $1,200 LED headlights, my Grecale Trofeo tester prices $118,260.

How It Drives

Maserati did one thing with the Grecale that extra automakers wish to do, they threw a large efficiency engine in a car you wouldn’t be expecting it to be in. On this case, that engine is the center of the MC20 supercar. Whilst the three.0-liter turbocharged V6 makes 621 horsepower within the MC20, within the Grecale Trofeo it’s been detuned to a nonetheless now not dangerous 523 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. Paired with all-wheel force and an eight-speed automated transmission, it’s sufficient to hustle the Grecale Trofeo to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds prior to it tops out at 177 mph.

This factor is speedy. What makes it even higher is that individuals round you in visitors nearly don’t be expecting it to be sports activities automobile speedy. The engine pulls arduous and powerful the entire approach to redline and sounds unbelievable whilst doing it. Flip is excellent for a just about 4,500-pound crossover. An auto-adjusting air suspension is helping with retaining its middle of gravity low in order that you don’t get a not-so-gentle reminder that it’s nonetheless a crossover within the curves.

The Trofeo comes with 5 force modes: off-road — a unusual mode in an providing like this — Convenience, GT (the default mode), Game, and Corsa. Those will also be decided on by means of a dial at the guidance wheel. Inside of that dial is a button that places the suspension out and in of a game surroundings. You’re going to wish to keep in Game mode. It’s the most productive surroundings as you get the precise efficiency out of the engine whilst nonetheless being at ease sufficient for on a regular basis using. Corsa mode is nearly an excessive amount of. The suspension turns into so stiff it borders on insufferable and the Grecale nearly feels unsettled.

What’s Now not So Nice

That unsettling feeling was once at all times there whilst I drove the Grecale. I’m now not positive if it was once this actual automobile or what, however actually coming into its efficiency is whilst you understand it, be it from a forestall gentle, to cross and even coming into the brakes when coming down from pace. I’d must get it on a monitor underneath some arduous use to look if it that feeling lasts. Round the city although it was once nearly like looking to stay an excited canine on a leash underneath keep watch over.

The Grecale has a smartly crafted inside, however some portions of it simply weren’t excellent to me, specifically the rush button tools selector and the large paddle shifters. The paddle shifters are superbly created from actual steel. On the other hand, they’re massive — I’d bet no less than eight-ten inches lengthy — and don’t transfer with the wheel. I do know that’s how they’re meant to be, however they have a tendency to get in the best way, and now and again it gave the look of if I wasn’t cautious the ground of the paddle would hit the highest of my knee.

The rush-button tools selector could also be one of the crucial worst I’ve utilized in any car. I do know automakers are getting out of hanging tools levers in automobiles to create extra space, however should you’re going to head that direction you want to get it proper. And Maserati doesn’t get it proper right here. You nearly must lengthy press the button to get the auto in tools; fast presses will lead to not anything going down and will also be probably hazardous. As an example, say you’re parked to your driveway and wish to opposite. Somebody nonetheless on a finding out curve with this factor will temporarily hit “D” to begin using after reversing however nonetheless be in opposite, probably leading to you plowing into one thing.

There have been additionally a couple of high quality problems I encountered that I’m hoping have been simply a topic at the car I had:

• The entrance passenger seat didn’t appear to be bolted down correctly and would reasonably transfer and wobble with positive frame actions.
• I didn’t get an opportunity to actually enjoy the 3-d encompass sound coming from the 21-speaker Sonus Faber sound machine for the reason that speaker within the driver-side door was once totally out. As soon as it randomly got here again in, the sound from it wasn’t as loud as the remainder of the audio system.
• Finally, that 3.0-liter V6’s efficiency comes with a value you pay on the pump. This factor has a V8-like thirst for top rate gasoline. Whilst the federal government says the Grecale Trofeo will have to get 18 mpg town/25 mpg freeway/20 mpg mixed, I averaged between 14.8-15 mpg. And that’s now not with a large number of spirited using.

The worst downside although was once the CEL (take a look at engine gentle) that randomly illuminated on me one morning as I went to get espresso. This resulted within the automobile sitting in my driveway untouched for the closing 4 days it was once with me. A unusual factor to occur in a automobile with simply over 4,000 miles on it.

Verdict 

The Grecale Trofeo has improbable efficiency in a phase the place that may be beautiful uncommon. Whilst a few of the ones high quality problems I encountered gave me pause, what would actually make me think carefully about taking into account the Grecale Trofeo is its worth. Certain you’ll pick out up extra elementary variations for only $70,000, but it surely’s six-figure worth places it on every other degree. A Porsche Macan GTS would almost certainly price equivalent (or extra with choices), but it surely’s the benchmark for the phase. A BMW X3 M will carry out just about the similar for manner much less cash. Even Stellantis’ personal Alfa Romeo will promote you a Stelvio Quadrifoglio that plays the similar for much less. Or you want to move make your cash make sense and purchase a real sports activities automobile with that $118,000+. On the other hand, should you do finally end up going for the Grecale Trofeo, you gained’t be disenchanted, however it’s possible you’ll finally end up rethinking if it’s price it.