There are a few car brands that I want to like but inevitably feel disappointed. Maserati is at the top of this list. Although disappointed by Ghibli and Quattroporte and Levante, I kept going back to the well, hoping something would change. So when I was offered the chance to spend a few days with Grecale Trofeo 2023, I agreed while crossing my arms.
Like other Trofeo models, Greek is all about its powertrain, and with a word of warning, what a powertrain it is. The star of the show is a tweaked version of Nettuno V6 that first appeared in super car MC20.
In the Grecale, the 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine makes a mighty 523 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque, and if it does, it seems Maserati is underestimating those numbers. The Grecale Trofeo is amazingly quick, with a 0-60 time in 3.6 seconds, aided by all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. However, the warning I mentioned is sound. the Nettunos bad sound in MC20 and worse sound here. At least in the MC20 you can clearly hear the turbo noise. The extremely farting sound it makes when shifting below maximum throttle is particularly awful.
The Grecale’s chassis is only slightly less impressive than the powertrain. The standard air suspension in the Trofeo is extremely well calibrated. It’s exceptionally comfortable on the road in Comfort or GT mode and significantly sturdier in Sport and Corsa modes, making for an incredibly capable canyon carver. Another benefit of air suspension is the ability to adjust the height, which can be done manually or automatically based on the driving mode. There’s even an off-road mode that gives the Grecale the edge, and I’d almost believe it’ll go half way on dirt, as long as it has a different tyre.
The overall experience of driving the Grecale Trofeo is great. It has a great transmission and a very ready engine, and ride quality, as I said, is excellent. Direct steering and super strong steel brakes with good initial bite. Driving it through a few hours of traffic on Southern California highways and through LA was amazing, and I have no doubt that someone who buys a Trofeo will enjoy it anywhere on a daily basis.
So while the steering is great, it’s not the point where I find the Maserati experience to be the weakest. That dubious honor goes to the brand’s interior, and I’m pleased to report that everything in the cabin is pretty good. Don’t get me wrong, interior quality when it comes to materials and design doesn’t necessarily match a car that starts at $105,000, but that’s not exactly what I’d call shame either. . Really, the meh interior functions as the most expensive trim of a model that starts at around $65,000.
The seats are comfortable but narrower than I expected, and the leather feels just fine, not on par with the leather you’d get on a Macan, for example. Straight stitching and metal pole-mounted paddle shifters are great. However, the leather-like material used on the steering wheel feels awful and I found the shape of the steering wheel uncomfortable to hold. Curiously, it is also covered with buttons, while notably the rest of the interior is not. Maserati’s “3D Carbon Fiber” trim looks and feels awful, but that’s subjective and there are other options that I might prefer.
There’s quite a bit of room in both the front and back seats, even for someone as tall as me — I’m 6 feet, 4 inches tall — and the luggage compartment at 20.1 cubic feet is pretty good for what ultimately doesn’t. must be as large as that of an SUV. The panoramic sunroof also doesn’t seem to take up much headroom and lets in a lot of light where it would otherwise feel like a rather dark cabin.
The highlight of the interior for me is the central display setup. It is split into two sections with a bend in the lower third, with the larger top section dedicated to the infotainment system and the lower third handling climate control and several other features. It looks great and is very responsive. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the optional Sonus Faber stereo system is also great. One pitiful thing about this whole setup is the lack of physical buttons, besides the ones on the steering wheel. However, because the system is so responsive, that’s what I ended up being okay with.
Despite its six-figure asking price, the Grecale Trofeo doesn’t offer many advanced driver assistance features as standard, instead burying them in an optional $3,100 driver assistance package. That said, my test car was optional with that package, and I’m happy to report that the systems – including adaptive cruise with stop and go, intersection assist, traffic sign recognition , driver monitoring, blind spot assist and more – it all works great. You can also opt for a head-up display and wireless charging pad for $1,100, and the $4,100 Premium Plus package gives you Sonus Faber stereo, heated and ventilated seats, as well as infinity. heated steering wheel and heated windshield washer nozzle.
My fully loaded test car retailed for the not-so-small price of $122,395, including $1,495 in destination fees. If you’re looking at the Trofeo, chances are you’ll also be primarily looking at rivals like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, Porsche Macan GTS and BMW X3 M. I’m happy to say that the Maserati still performs well here. . Alfa is the most similar, but it drops 18 horsepower and has less interior. It’s cheaper though, with a starting price of $87,770, including a destination fee of $1,595. The BMW offers 503 horsepower (as long as you add the $7,000 competition package) and has a significantly less refined ride for $82,395, including a $995 destination fee. Porsche Macan GTS reduced the most capacity, only 434 units. Still, it arguably has the best interior of the bunch and, being a GTS, has most of the good performance options fitted as standard, but it’s the most expensive at $88,450, including fees. destination $1,695.
In the end, I’m pleased to see Maserati break its sad, expensive streak of ‘workable’ cars and offer something extremely competitive in an already competitive market segment. The Grecale Trofeo isn’t perfect and there’s still some Italian flair here, but that’s part of its substantial appeal and doesn’t detract from the overall experience of driving it. If Grecale is indicative of Maserati’s approach to the future, I’m also incredibly excited to spend my time on the new GranTurismo. It’s great to not be disappointed in the end.
