► CAR’s Maserati Grecale Folgore review
► Fully electric version of Grecale SUV
► Arrives before Macan Electric, costs more
The Maserati Grecale Folgore is the all-electric version of the brand’s mid-sized SUV, reflecting an extraordinary time of change in Modena, as pistons morph into plugs. Little old Maser is moving at impressive pace to keep up with the big boys – and is actually beating most other sporting luxury marques to market with its electrified range.
The 110-year-old Italian brand will have a pure battery electric version of every model by the end of next year and plans to switch off combustion engines entirely in 2028, when the Maserati Quattroporte successor arrives.
Read our Maserati Grecale Folgore review to see if the battery-powered crossover is good enough to become one of the best electric SUVs on sale today.
At a glance
Pros: Slick to look at and drive, impressive performance, competitive efficiency
Cons: The steering wheel is a bit of a buttonfest, sky-high price is a problem
What’s new
Following hot on the heels of last year’s GranTurismo Folgore EV coupe comes this: the Maserati Grecale Folgore, the 100% electric mid-sized crossover. Right-hand drive sales will have started by the time you read this, priced at a lofty £110k, and it’ll be in customers’ hands before arch-rival Porsche’s new Macan Electric arriving in the second half of the year. Punchy stuff.
This multi-modal approach offers every which powertrain through the transition period. Offering screaming V6s, halfway-house mild hybrids and a full EV swells appeal and hedges risk, even if development costs are surely multiplying as if the work experience lad inadvertently screwed up the budget formula in Excel.
Folgore is Italian for lightning bolt and the copper script of the model name is the car-spotting anorak’s friend, along with copper accents on the brake callipers, the absence of exhaust pipes and a new, more blanked-off concave grille.
The Grecale is a neat-looking SUV whose dimensions closely ape those of the combustion cars; the large 105kWh battery is cleverly packaged in the Italian group’s Giorgio platform without changing the external dimensions one jot. Even boot space is identical to the petrol car’s, at 535 litres.
What about the interior?
It’s a roomy cabin with plenty of space for four adults; only a tall-ish transmission tunnel betrays its petrol parentage. British cars will come with leather upholstery as standard, whereas left-hookers are specced with a new seat material called Econyl, fashioned from recycled nylon and fishing nets. It’s a no-cost option over here and some may prefer its more vegan roots and neopreney sportswear vibe.
Prod the start button on the busy steering wheel and the Folgore comes to life, Maserati’s Android-powered infotainment waking from its slumber. As such systems go, it’s quick and responsive and mapping is easy to use, integrating with the company’s charging service to find the fastest plugs en route. Tap the plasticky D button on the centre console, and we’re off, gliding silently away.
How does it drive?
Every test car at launch runs on the largest possible alloy wheel design, the chunkiest 21-inch rims whose spoke design echoes the Trident’s prongs. While the ride can fidget over expansion joints and the worst road acne, we were surprised how well it manages to isolate the cabin from thumps and bumps. Still, we suspect we’d order the mid-ranking 20s if it were our spec.
The Grecale Folgore has a pleasing fluidity to how it drives, aided by standard air springs that can be adjusted separately from the drivetrain by toggling through four drive modes. They lift the body by a couple of inches in off-road mode, providing extra ground clearance.
Traction is strong and progress surefooted. Make no mistake: the all-wheel drive powertrain is more useful to tame the prodigious torque than to venture off the Tarmac. That said, we did drive a few miles off road and the Grecale equips itself well if you do head away from the straight and narrow.
Early drives of the new Porsche Macan Electric suggest the Zuffenhausen SUV has a more sporting set-up, but the electric Maser flows and its default mode – the softer, comfort-oriented GT – feels well suited to the brand’s grand-touring character.
What are the specs?
Relaxed, effortless performance is a given, thanks to a pair of 205kW motors providing top whack of 550bhp. With that kind of power, no wonder 0-62mph takes a scant 4.1 seconds. Acceleration is stomach-wrenchingly visceral if you stab the right pedal, but most users, most of the time, will surely squirt along with the easy lope that comes with 605lb ft of twist.
Performance is well judged – and special plaudits for the brilliant (unswitchable) soundtrack emanating from a pair of speakers under the boot floor. It’s the best EV signature sound I’ve heard: neither too loud, nor too futuristically whacky.
Maserati claims an electric range of 311 miles and energy efficiency is rated at 2.6 miles per kilowatt hour. We actually managed 3.1 miles per kilowatt hour during a relaxed stint on the launch, which is impressively frugal. When you need to charge up in a rush, the Grecale can take DC rapid charging at up to 150kW; Maserati claims a 20-80% charge done thus takes 29 minutes.
Before you buy (trims and rivals)
The Maserati Grecale Folgore is a standalone electric model costing £109,905. There is only one spec and there doesn’t seem to be any cheaper trims on the horizon.
It’s a surprisingly punchy price when you consider that the new Porsche Macan Electric launching soon costs from £69,800 for a less powerful entry model; even the more powerful Macan Turbo Electric costs £95k, underlining the Italian car’s steep price.
Unsurprisingly, the Grecale Folgore comes loaded with standard equipment: 14-way electrically adjustable front seats, an excellent 14-speaker Sonus Faber stereo, adaptive cruise control, leather upholstery and heating for both rows of seats (the front pews are also ventilated for cooling in the summer).
Being a Maserati, you can naturally personalise your Grecale to a scarily high degree, culminating in some very special bespoke touches. Take for instance the Rame Folgore copper paint – striking, but shockingly pricey at £15,120!
Verdict: Maserati Grecale Folgore
All in all, the Maserati Grecale Folgore is a neat accomplishment. Porsche sells the same volume of cars in the UK that Maser does worldwide in a year – yet David is somehow keeping up with Goliath. It’s a pleasingly capable electric crossover, hampered by a price tag that’s somehow spiralled well beyond the Macan’s. And that could prove to be an insurmountable challenge.