The MC20’s unveiling in 2020 marked the start of a sizzling streak for Maserati. It was the primary Maserati supercar since 2004’s Enzo-adjacent MC12, and it was adopted rapidly by the spectacular GranTurismo Trofeo and the spectacular Grecale Trofeo. Similar to that, the Stellantis-owned Italian carmaker changed an getting older lineup of merchandise with a recent fleet that was thrilling.
The subsequent part of Maserati’s grand plan is to impress these new fashions, ditching inside combustion totally by 2028. The GranTurismo Folgore was Maserati’s first BEV. Now we now have the Grecale Folgore, a extra mass-market mannequin that’s essential to the corporate’s electrical transition.
For an organization buoyed by the racing legacy of Fangio and among the finest rock lyrics of all time (because of Joe Walsh, who didn’t personal a Maserati till after he claimed one went 185), Maserati has, in current many years, fought relevance to a draw. Now, after a fantastic run, the stakes are excessive.
On paper, a 550-horsepower dual-motor crossover with a 105-kilowatt-hour battery pack and pleasing traces reads like yet one more consecutive win. Then we drove it. The Grecale Folgore is constructed on slow-charging 400-volt electrical structure, has dealing with dynamics hampered by 998 kilos of added weight, and delivers below-market vary figures (as much as 245 miles est.). After just a few turns alongside the Italian countryside, the Grecale Folgore felt extra like a misstep than a leap ahead.
The Maserati Grecale Folgore would be the solely trim stage out there as an EV. With an estimated beginning value within the low $100,000 vary—about the identical because the Nettuno-V6-powered Grecale Trofeo—the Folgore is aimed solely at luxurious EV consumers, says Maserati.
Nonetheless, whereas the 550-hp Folgore could be the strongest Grecale up to now, 27-hp over the Trofeo, it was by no means supposed to be probably the most athletic on a again street. That title stays with the V6 Trofeo; the Foglore is aimed on the eco-conscious, tech-savvy crowd that may additionally contemplate a Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV, Audi’s SQ8 e-tron or BMW’s iX, with Porsche’s upcoming electrical Macan becoming a member of the record later this yr.
The electrified Grecale splits its 550-hp output evenly between two 275-hp electrical motors, one on every axle, feeding energy to all 4 wheels. Mixed, they ship a most torque output of 605 foot-pounds, sufficient to propel the Folgore to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds and 124 mph in 16.1. For context, the Trofeo could also be down 27 hp, however it’s 0.3 seconds faster to 62 mph at 3.8 seconds, whereas the Folgore’s direct competitor, the upcoming 630-hp Porsche Macan Turbo Electrical, is faster nonetheless, finishing the dash in a swift 3.3 seconds.
The Folgore feels fast off the road, as something creating 550 hp ought to, however not uniquely so. It’s brisk because of a stable preliminary burst courtesy of its on the spot torque supply. Nonetheless, the Folgore’s acceleration tapers rapidly as its speedo climbs, feeling much less speedy than the outgunned Trofeo. The principle wrongdoer is the Folgore’s 105 kilowatt-hour battery pack. In electrified kind, the Grecale weighs 998 lb greater than the 4,469-lb Trofeo, bringing its curb weight to five,467 lb. That’s greater than a V12-powered Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Other than hampering its acceleration, the additional heft diminishes the superb dealing with dynamics we’ve skilled in different Grecale fashions. Dive right into a nook, and its entrance finish isn’t significantly agile. It tends to understeer as its physique leans significantly. Whereas its rear-biased energy distribution means that you can scoot its again finish with a stab of the accelerator, serving to it flip right into a nook, its physique stays surprisingly unsettled with near-constant bobbing.
On the plus aspect, a well-calibrated accelerator permits for clean energy supply and simple modulation. The Trofeo’s column-mounted shift paddles stay, now tasked with adjusting the depth of the Folgore’s regenerative braking system, permitting for one pedal driving.
Just like the Trofeo, the Maserati Grecale Folgore makes use of adjustable air springs and lively shock absorbers. GT, Sport, Offroad, and Max Vary modes alter their stiffness, journey top, and accelerator responsiveness. Nonetheless, even in Sport, the firmest setting, the Folgore’s suspension struggled to steadiness out this crossover’s physique, leading to a bouncy journey uncharacteristic of the remainder of the Grecale lineup. Offroad is surprisingly the very best of the bunch whereas puttering round city and on high-speed freeway blasts. It raises the Folgore’s journey top sufficient to isolate it higher from street imperfections with improved plushness over the default GT setting.
Max Vary mode is a brand new addition to the Grecale Folgore. As its identify suggests, it makes an attempt to make this crossover as environment friendly as doable by capping its high velocity at 81 mph, whereas limiting accelerator responsiveness and its local weather management system’s energy draw. The Trident suggests solely clicking over to this mode as soon as the pack’s state of cost drops beneath 16 %. Though Maserati has not revealed an official EPA vary determine, its newest crossover achieved 311 miles in its most effective configuration and 264 miles in its least on the European WLTP cycle. Provided that WLTP figures are sometimes round 20 % increased than EPA estimates, count on the Folgore’s most vary to hover nearer to 245 miles as soon as it reaches the U.S. market.
In contrast to the aforementioned Macan Turbo Electrical and Maserati’s personal GranTurismo Folgore, which rely on an 800-volt electrical structure, the Grecale Folgore makes use of a 400-volt system. As such, its peak DC cost fee is 150 kilowatts, that means it takes 29 minutes to cost from 20 to 80 %. For context, the aforementioned Porsche and Maserati GT can settle for as much as 270 kW, leading to faster cost occasions. Maserati provides an optionally available wall field for at-home charging, which delivers between 3 and 22 kW, the Folgore’s AC restrict.
Whereas the thrill surrounding the Maserati Grecale Folgore facilities round its powertrain, this crossover’s strengths stay within the areas the place the Trident has all the time excelled: fashion and design. Sharing greater than only a close to $100,000 pricepoint with its Trofeo sibling, the Folgore borrows lots of its sporty styling cues. Its entrance fascia, for instance, carries over the V6 mannequin’s general bumper design however differentiates itself with a brand new inverted grille. It’s the same story with its rocker panels and again bumper, whose diffuser beneficial properties trim items rather than the Trofeo’s quad exhaust ideas. Obtainable with 20 or 21-inch aero wheels, the Folgore banks on the Grecale’s stellar appears whereas implementing solely delicate tweaks. The result’s an electrical crossover that isn’t outlined by a very aero-focused form, as a substitute sticking to extra conventional proportions.
The Folgore’s inside is, like the remainder of the Grecale vary, excellently appointed, spacious, and a well-isolated place to be. Its dashboard hosts three screens: a digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch central infotainment show, and an 8.8-inch display nestled beneath it. Like most luxurious EVs, the Folgore’s inside is virtually devoid of bodily buttons, apart from its gear selectors sandwiched between its central shows. Nonetheless, a lot of the changes to its local weather and luxury settings stay all the time inside straightforward attain in its backside show, limiting the necessity to type by means of varied menus whereas driving.
Though Maserati provides loads of leather-based variations for its 14-way adjustable entrance seats, the Folgore introduces using Econyl, a cloth made up of recycled nylon. The fabric looks like probably the most luxurious wetsuit conceivable and retains heating and cooling capabilities. Extra importantly, nonetheless, it provides an fascinating texture to the inside except for adorning the Folgore’s cabin with a definite aesthetic.
The Maserati Grecale Folgore is anticipated to go on sale within the U.S. later this yr, coming into the favored however extremely aggressive electrical luxurious crossover phase. Whereas the Trident’s newest has stellar styling and a chic cabin primed to attraction to tech-savvy premium EV consumers, its getting older electrical structure and unsettled journey will undoubtedly pose challenges for the model’s core viewers of lovers.
Conversely, the tech-savvy, typically stat-focused consumers the model desires to courtroom will evaluate the Folgore to present and upcoming rivals and discover an electrical crossover that isn’t segment-leading on paper, particularly at a six-figure value level. For a model that’s finished nearly all the pieces proper in recent times because it goals to achieve market share and reposition itself on the high of the luxurious world, its first foray into the electrical crossover area feels extra like a misstep than a leap ahead.
