Maserati Grecale Folgore review

Maserati is one of the most recognizable brand names in the automotive world, a reputation it built through exceptional craftsmanship and distinctive models that combine luxury, beauty and performance. In recent years the company aimed to expand its appeal to broader crowds, offering more affordable and exotic models, but the results weren't great. The brand experienced a lot of backlash for the quality of its latest models, which became a meme for their poor reliability. Enter the Grecale - the model we're reviewing today is tasked with bringing Maserati to its former glory.

Table of Contents:

• Exterior
• Interior
• Storage & practicalities
• Driving experience
• Tech features
• Ride comfort
• Cabin noise
• Acceleration and braking
• Consumption
• Charging speed
• Competition
• Verdict

At our disposal today is the Maserati Grecale Folgore, which the company's first fully electric vehicle and it has big expectations to live up to. The Grecale share its platform with traditional ICE models, but the electric Folgore is the most powerful one, featuring the monstrous 550 hp and 605 lb-ft, delivered to all four wheels. Combined with a massive 105 kWh battery pack, the Grecale Folgore seems like a very appealing option for travelling in comfort and style.

The Grecale is about the same size as a Mercedes EQE or a BMW iX. The Maserati is aiming to be the oddball choice in the segment, but it promises to deliver more luxury than its more established peers. Maserati's new lineup has to prove that the Italians can truly compete in terms of features and quality with the German makers.

Maserati Grecale Folgore 2022 -

• Dimensions: 191.5 inches x 76.7 inches x 65 inches, 114.3 inches wheelbase.
• Drivetrain tested: Folgore - AWD 410 kW (550 hp), 605 lb-ft, 105 kWh total battery capacity, 95 kWh usable battery capacity
• Charging: 150 kW CCS
• Range: 311 miles WLTP
• Weight: 5,467 lb unladen
• Other features: Wheel controls, Performance displays, OTA updates.

Exterior

Maserati's approach when it comes to road presence has been about menacing fronts and elegant profiles. The Grecale slightly breaks that tradition by forgoing the angry elements and showing a "happier" face. There are hardly any rough edges, making the Grecale more of a joyful road companion, rather than some fearsome machine.

There is an uncanny resemblance with the current Ford Puma, which is a worrying fact, as few would enjoy having their car mistaken for one costing a quarter of its price.

The front of the Grecale Folgore has an overall "smiley" look, despite carrying some traditional Maserati element like the giant indented low-hung grille with the trident logo inside. The headlights are big and rounded, giving a feline impression of the whole front.

Since the Grecale is also available in a petrol version, a lot of vents are carried over to the electric Folgore, even though it doesn't need them. The grille is redundant except for aesthetics, but it’s interesting that behind it is a giant styrofoam piece that is used for insulation. Maserati made absolutely no effort in covering it in any way and it's almost hilarious how much play there is to it.

The headlights themselves are a masterpiece and incorporate many different elements and the attention to detail is immaculate. They light up the road ahead perfectly and deliver an easily recognizable light signature.

The side profile is typical of an SUV with a hint of a coupe in the sloping roofline. What distinguishes the Grecale as a true Maserati are the signature emblem on the C-pillars and the three grilles on the front fenders.

In the petrol versions, the vents extract hot air from the engine, but since the Folgore is electric, they are only for decoration. They even light up in the dark, while the Folgore label above them is nicely stamped like a subtle tattoo.

The door handles hide inside the doors and flow subtly into the design. They are easy to use and feel intuitive, in comparison to other makers that require multiple steps for a task as simple as opening the door.

The wheels on the Folgore differ vastly from the ones on the petrol variants and in all honesty don’t look nearly as great. They are optimized for aerodynamic efficiency, but that results in an unassuming and boring design that isn't fitting for a stately performance vehicle. You can choose between 20-inch and 21-inch options, but they both look similar.

The rear of the Grecale is elegant and sleek, but not really as distinctive as the other Maserati models. The lack of a rear emblem makes it even harder to immediately notice the brand of the car, as the subtle Maserati script blends in, especially with darker exterior colors.

A big chrome line spans between the taillights and pierces them in the middle, underlining the trunk opening and hiding its assembly points.

Where the ICE cars have exhaust tips on the lower parts of the bumper, the Folgore hides an interesting party trick. There are its sound generators, which inform pedestrians of an approaching vehicle. Instead of hiding them somewhere in the underbody like most manufacturers, Maserati has integrated them into the design and the result is quite interesting.

Interior

The cabin of the Grecale Folgore is a wonderful place to spend time. Almost all materials are of the finest quality and all panels match perfectly, unlike recent Maserati models, which became a laughing stock for how poorly they were built. There are multiple fine accents all around that show attention to detail and remind the passengers they’re riding in a premium vehicle.

As you open the door you encounter probably the only unpleasant sight in the entire car and those are the door steps, which look like a cost-cutting measure. Although there is a Maserati stamp there, they are made of cheap-looking plastics that easily rack up a lot of dirt and scratches.

Once you are past that you can feast your eyes on the immaculate steering wheel and wash away the sour taste. It is finished with fine Nappa leather with pores and has a flat bottom for easier entry and exit.

It incorporates all kinds of different functionalities, including the start/stop button, which is bright blue and looks cool with its outlandish placement.

Right above it are the controls for the gauge cluster displays, which are intuitive and easy to learn. However, all of the steering wheel buttons are finished in a high gloss material, which attracts a lot of fingerprints and collects dust like crazy. They look great in pictures, but take a lot of effort to keep clean.

The lower right part of the steering wheel has the quick controls for the suspension and the drive modes, which further contributes to the sporty excitement.

The buttons above that dial are responsible for the cruise control and are once again exceptionally easy to figure out and use.

On the back of the steering wheel you get two buttons on each side, which control the stereo. Many Stellantis products use that setup, which is also very easy to use.

The paddle shifters are mounted on the column and made of aluminum, giving a sensational feeling every time you use them. Unlike in the ICE version where they change gears, here they change the recuperation levels, meaning they won’t get as much action, which is sad for just how satisfying they feel to click.

The gauge cluster is a fantastic 12.3" display that has multiple functionalities we'll discuss in detail later on in the review. There are multiple ways you can customize it and in general looks modern and refined.

In the center of the dashboard we see a round screen that initially looks like a clock. It used to be one in older Maseratis, but it's much more than that now. It can be a clock, but you can also see all kinds of stats there. It is absolutely redundant in a family SUV, but it maintains the sporty theme.

The clock is now digital and multipurpose.

Below the small round display is a massive air vent, spanning all the way to the door, incorporating all separate air vents into a single unit, which looks sleek and innovative, perfectly fitting with the rest of the interior and the quilted leather that surrounds it.

Right in the center is the main 12.3-inch touchscreen display, which controls the multimedia and most of the Maserati Grecale's features. Former Maserati models used to sport pretty bad screens, but the Grecale can absolutely match the best out there with quick loading times, fantastic image quality and intuitive layouts.

Underneath the main screen is a row of buttons, serving the purpose of a gear lever. They are slightly laggy and the car requires some time to engage into gear and they also don't feel great to touch. The gear buttons take away some of the fantastic overall impression of the Grecale, which is a shame since they are a unit you have to use every time you get in the car.

Right below the gear buttons is the third center display, which has the same size as the main one, but serves a totally different purpose. It primarily controls the climate functions, but there are also the buttons to control the ride height, ambient lighting, the aforementioned clock, hill-descent assist and the ESC. It is a weird mix of functionalities to be in one place, but you easily get used to what's where.

Moving further down to the center console we see a bunch of storage spaces that can hold a lot of small items. There is a wireless charging pad, as well as two gigantic cup holders that can fit big bottles without a problem. In fact, they are so big that smaller cans just roam around inside them, which may be somewhat irritating at times.

The armrest is finished in leather and is comfortable for your arm to rest on, but a big bonus is that it's deep and can fit a lot. It also hides a 12V charger port.

The seats are amazing and combine comfort and support excellently. Optionally you can get the Maserati trident logo embroidered on the headrests.

The trident logo is important for distinguishing from other manufacturers.

The doors open electronically as you press a big round button on the door, but in case of emergency there is a mechanical latch inside the door pockets.

The window switches and mirror controls are located as usual on the doors, but are finished in piano black, as well as most of the trim pieces inside, which attracts an absurd amount of dust and fingerprints. We recommend choosing the carbon fiber interior trim option, which is a free substitution, looks subjectively better and doesn't require nearly as much effort to maintain clean.

The optional panoramic sunroof gets a control panel suitable for an airplane just to for its basic functions. You get three separate switches for its sunshade, half-opening and full opening. Virtually all other cars incorporate all those features into one, but the Grecale wanted to be a little different.

On the driver's sun visor there are three dotted buttons and a house icon, enabling you to unlock your gates or open you garage doors. Many vehicles incorporate that function into the rear-view mirror, but the way it’s done in the Maserati seems to be a more intuitive and convenient.

The rear seats offer excellent space for all kinds of passengers. Even though the Grecale is the smaller SUV in Maserati’s lineup, adults sit comfortably in the back with plenty of space left both for head- and legroom. Our reviewer is 1.95 m (6'4") tall and can travel in full comfort in the back.

Space is wonderful in the rear seats.

The rear also offers some amenities like separate air conditioning, heated seats and cup holders in the armrest. They aren't particularly special features, but are not universally found in small to midsize SUVs.

Storage & practicalities

As we discussed, the Grecale isn't the biggest SUV on the market, nor is its sloping roofline helping maximize storage capacity. However, it offers great amounts of storage space with 18.9 ft³ in the trunk. This isn’t bad at all and is absolutely sufficient for a family holiday even for a longer period.

With the backseats folded down, the available storage space doubles and you can easily carry around bulky objects if you wish to do so. The flat floor also helps with that task.

There is some very little storage space underneath the trunk floor, but no frunk (front trunk), which slightly reduces the Grecale’s practicality.

Driving experience

Sitting behind the wheel of the Grecale Folgore evokes feelings that don't compare with many other vehicles on the road. Even though it is essentially a family SUV, none of its driving characteristics show that even in the slightest. The seating position is low and the window line is very high, with the hood sticking out in the distance like a proper sports car.

The small steering wheel and responsive pedals make for quick adjustments and great road feedback. Your body feels connected to the road at all times, and even when you're wafting over bumps in comfort mode, you still get informed about absolutely everything that's going on underneath. The Grecale invites you to be proactive while driving and stimulates more spirited driving.

Once you change all the settings to sport, the character of the Grecale Folgore becomes even more aggressive. The temptation of breaking the speed limits and acting like a menace on the road is tremendous and you have to really control yourself. Once you see the trident logo, feel the instant power and see all the sport gauges in action, the urge to push the Grecale to its limits becomes very strong.

If you get to drive on a curvy canyon road like we did in our test, you'll be rewarded with sensational road feedback and the sensation of endless grip. Even though the Grecale is a tall SUV, it handles much more like a sporty sedan and body roll is far lower than on all of its competitors. The seats hold you tightly in your place and you can tackle corners so much faster.

But let's say you can control yourself and drive at reasonable speeds, the Grecale Folgore can be quite a sensible companion and offer peaceful travels in great comfort. You can set the cruise control at your desired speed and enjoy a quiet cabin with many luxurious amenities at the tip of your fingers, while the car does much of the driving for you.

We have to mention that the on-board assistants are plentiful and you get all the different driver aids and nannies that should help prevent a crash. We recently looked into these assistants, noting that they sometimes do more harm than good, but the Grecale Folgore allows you to have all beeping signals permanently off, without having to adjust them every time you start the vehicle.

The assist systems can all be turned permanently off, which is refreshing in today's market.

Tech features

Maserati used to be behind the technological curve and often be given as a bad example, but it really learned its lesson. The new models, including the Grecale, offer excellent on-board technology with great usability, user-friendly design and multiple personalization options.

The center display controls most of the vehicle's functions. Its home screen incorporates multiple widgets, which you can choose individually, while on the left side of the screen are shortcut buttons for some frequently used settings and apps.

Even the home screen is customizable.

The top part of the screen is the so-called "status bar," which shows information and allows quick access to other apps you desire. It is fully configurable and can be precisely customized to one's own liking.

The Grecale offers voice controls and there is even a list of commands it can recognize, but it doesn't really work well and the commands should be called exactly as written or they won't work. That's one area that needs work, given how good the voice assist is in the significantly cheaper Ora Funky Cat we recently reviewed.

The built-in navigation system has great resolution and shows you charging stations along your route.

The performance monitor allows you to measure and track all kinds of performance and race-oriented data including drag times. Of course that is a gimmick, but a cool one for when you have no RaceBox or Draggy closeby.

You can even monitor your battery level, temperature and voltage, which is probably a leftover gauge from the petrol versions, where there are far more important readouts like boost and oil temp.

An interesting display is the one that shows how power is delivered to the wheels and how much horsepower each axle gets, including regen power when you let go off the accelerator.

Another redundant, but very cool display, is the off road performance, which shows you how tilted your Grecale is. This may save you from tipping over, but we can't see the Grecale going off the paved roads too often. A far more useful feature is the option to raise or lower the suspension of , allowing you better clearance for rough roads and lower ride height when traveling at high speeds for better aerodynamics.

The optional Sonus Faber audio system has crystal clear sound and is a must-have option for every musical fan. In addition to the great sound, the design of the speakers completes the interior and creates an upmarket setting.

Sonus Faber audio is a must-have optional extra.

The camera system was one of Maserati's other major weak points, which was once again greatly improved in the Grecale. The quality is crystal clear, with multiple angles to look from and no lagging whatsoever.

The lower center display, as we mentioned, not only controls the climate controls, but some other features as well. One of them is the ride height of the Grecale, which can lower and lift itself quite sensibly due to its air suspension.

Another setting hidden in that display is the ambient lighting, which is a somewhat limited as it doesn't offer only a few color options to choose from and is generally quite dim. In addition to the warm, neutral and cold options, you get additional red ambient lighting when the Grecale is in sport mode. Given how many customization options you get in the interior, it is a real shame Maserati didn't provide customizable RGB lighting so you can set the precisely desired atmosphere.

Ambient lighting is one of Grecale's few weak points.

This is also the area that controls the center clock, which is no longer a mechanical masterpiece, but a digital screen with multiple readouts you can choose from. The options vary from a compass and regular clock, to more advanced data like a G-force meter or battery state of charge.

The center clock can show basically anything.

There is a brake and power button, which shows how much pressure you put into the corresponding pedals. It seems like one of the most redundant features one could ever think of, as you can sense these with your feet when stepping on the pedals, but you got that feature nevertheless.

Can you think of a more useless feature in a vehicle?

The gauge cluster display is the highlight when it comes to customization options and different readouts. It is designed like a regular tach with two round parts for the power and speed.

Its central part is the biggest and you can scroll through various menus and have different information displayed, as well as navigation information.

The gauge cluster has great customizability.

The left side where the power display is can show the same readouts as the center, but in a smaller size, thus allowing you to have two completely different pieces of information in close proximity for optimal usability.

A plethora of menus to choose from to be displayed on the left side of the gauge cluster.

Fitting for a vehicle of this class, the Grecale comes with a wonderful head-up display, which sits directly in your field of vision and is capable of displaying all kinds of information so that you rarely have to take your eyes off the road.

The head-up unit has all the needed information.

Ride comfort

The Maserati Grecale Folgore is a true multipurpose vehicle and that is shown clearly through its ride comfort versatility. When you have the car in comfort mode, it smoothes out most of the road's irregularities. The ride is not as soft to even out everything, but it just about informs you about the potholes you're driving over. Once you dial the suspension to its sportiest setting, the ride gets on the verge of being unbearably stiff and you can sense every little bump beneath the tires. This, of course, benefits sporty driving where handling is of the utmost importance.

Cabin noise

Maserati Grecale Folgore is not the best inslutaed car at lower speeds, but its aerodynamics and soundproofing really excelles as you go on a highway.

Sound level tests are carried out with a specialized sound level meter placed in the car's cupholders. The test is conducted with air conditioning and radio off and while maintaining a steady speed.

Acceleration and braking

The Maserati Grecale Folgore is quick off the line and moves its behemoth weight from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.12 seconds. This figure aligns with the official claims, but also shows that the built-in drag time analyzer is highly accurate and matches the RaceBox readings with great precision. An impressive feat is that the acceleration doesn't significantly slow down as speed goes up and you can easily overtake at much more than highway speeds. The annoying part is that the Grecale is limited at 137 mph, which takes away from its autobahn credit.

The Maserati Grecale Folgore impresses even more with its braking power. A result for stopping from 62 mph to a halt in 33 m (108'3") is amazing and even more so when we consider the Grecale's weight. Best yet, the transition between regenerative braking and normal brakes is absolutely flawless and you can't really feel when the actual breaks start to bite.

Acceleration and deceleration are measured with a RaceBox device inside the car. Testing is done with a single person inside the car, with air conditioning and traction control off.

Consumption

The Grecale Folgore is not the most efficient vehicle on the market, but it never really claimed to be one. Its gigantic battery largely compensates for the lack of efficiency, but the 550 hp motors would always be hungry beasts. If you wish to see our detailed opinion and comparison with rivals of the Folgore in terms of efficiency, check out our dedicated range test article.

We measure consumption by driving at constant speeds on an identical test route during the day. Testing is conducted with air conditioning, all safety systems and radio on. The data comes from the vehicle's board computer. Specific testing parameters such as ambient temperature are mentioned in the text on a case by case basis.

We now suggest you use the widget below to find out the Maserati Grecale Folgore’s range in every combination of speed and temperature you might need. We've used our real world tests and a complex model to provide an estimate that should be as close to the actual performance as possible.

Charging speed

The Grecale Folglore doesn't promise the quickest charging times nor the highest charging power out there, but at least it easily achieves its claimed 150 kW. We hit that even though the outside temperature was very high and we were driving the Grecale Folgore aggressively the whole day.

Competition

The segment of luxury midsize electric SUVs is not so densely populated at the moment, but a lot of new models seem to enter that market. There are a few newer models that the Grecale should be aware of, but none that it should truly fear.

The first rival of the Grecale is the brand-new Porsche Macan, which for the first time comes in purely electric forms. The Macan offers more engine options and costs less, while its powertrain is more advanced. Maserati's optional equipment is far cheaper though, meaning that well-optioned models of both cars will cost about the same. We will soon test the new Macan and show how the two models compare with each other.

The second rival of the Grecale Folgore is the Mercedes EQE SUV. The German has a more modern and high-tech interior, as well as a better dealer network. The Maserati shines with a more exotic brand name, much better build quality (oh how the tables have turned) and slightly more storage space.

Porsche Macan 4S 2024 - • Mercedes AMG EQE 43 4MATIC SUV 2022 -

Verdict

Maserati is a name that carries a lot of history and symbolizes the harmony between luxury, elegance and speed. The Grecale Folgore perfectly captures what the brand stands for in this new EV era. The Italian brand no longer only relies on heritage, but now it competes on development with the best luxury brands in the world.

The interior has high quality leather everywhere, abundance of chrome and metals, amazing build quality and to top it all off is the refined infotainment, which makes living with the Grecale such a breeze. The exterior may not be as exciting as the interior with its subtlety on the verge of being bland, but there are no parts that can be deemed ugly.

The driving characteristics fit for a sports car, but also a family SUV with the amazing suspension allowing you to have three completely different vehicles in one packaging - a comfortable daily driver, a potent canyon carver and a somewhat capable off-roader.

Its high initial price is really the only meaningful downside of the Grecale, as it's already starting to depreciate heavily on the used market, rising the cost of ownership substantially. But if you can afford it the Maserati Grecale Folgore is definately a worthy consideration for those looking into midsize luxury SUVs.

Pros

• Awesome build and material quality.
• Fascinating brakes.
• Great handling and sufficient road feedback.
• Fantastic on-board technology.
• Spacious and comfortable interior.
• Combines comfort and sport, offering each individually with the press of a button.
• Multiple individualization options for the infotainment and gauge cluster.
• Attention to detail and prominent sensation of luxury.

Cons

• Not many personalization options for the exterior.
• Bland outside styling that doesn’t stand out in traffic as other Maserati models.
• The gears take a while to engage.
• Long charging times.
• High price even for a base model.
• Lack of ambient lighting options.