Driven: The 2023 Maserati Grecale Modena Delivers on a Big Promise

• The Maserati Grecale is a new crossover from Maserati.
• It's the new entry point to the brand, and it's a big deal because it might bring new customers in.
• But for that it has to be able to do battle with the best from Germany.
• We find out if it delivers on the promise of being able to upend the luxury SUV pecking order.

Feeling speciale

It isn't just the wow of being handed the keys to a new Maserati that makes the Grecale's first impression so special. The cabin is a genuinely lovely place to sit, with the fit and finish worthy of extra note. Maseratis from the last decade weren't anywhere near this well-built. The Grecale feels solid: The doors close with a hefty thunk, the gaps between the panels are both consistent and tight, and the leather selections on the seats, doors and dash are all lovely to the touch. It's also surprisingly spacious, with good headroom and legroom everywhere — the Grecale would seat five far more comfortably than a Macan, X3 or Q5.

The design of the cabin is completely unique to Maserati — something that couldn't be said about the Trident's previous products. You probably think Maserati wouldn't be caught dead sharing parts with other Stellantis brands like Dodge and Alfa Romeo, but the Quattroporte, Ghibli and Levante borrowed liberally from the corporate parts bin. That's all gone with the Grecale, and it feels the way you'd expect a Maser to thanks to unique touches like a dash-mounted digital clock with customizable faces, a standard Sonus Faber sound system (which is top-notch), a fully digital dashboard and a head-up display.

It's not all perfect, though, and most of the Grecale's interior issues come down to ergonomics and usability. Right when you get in you'll probably have a bear of a time finding the ignition button, which sits on the steering wheel, but the "Engine Start/Stop" text is completely blacked out when the car is off. The Grecale's center stack is made up of two screens arranged one on top of the other, and its surround is clad in a piano black plastic regardless of what interior spec you choose, and it catches fingerprints like flypaper. The buttons you use to select park, neutral, reverse and drive are dash-mounted and don't so much click as they squish into the dashboard in the same way your pet's chew toy would.

Aside from those buttons, there are no physical controls to be found on the center stack or console. Instead of a volume knob, there's a touch-sensitive slider that's just a pain to use, and there are too many functions packed into the lower screen, including exterior lighting controls, HVAC controls, and even some of the seat functions. The center stack is a mix of clear cost-cutting (since implementing buttons costs more money than integrating it all into one screen) and classic Maserati quirkiness. You'll eventually tackle the learning curve, but it is the kind of thing you'll always know could (and probably should) have been done better.

Out on the American autostrada

Once we managed to find the start button (and it did take a minute), all the usability concerns started to fade a little. The Grecale we have here isn't the fire-spitting top-spec Trofeo version with an adapted version of the MC20's twin-turbo V6, but instead a midlevel Modena model with a turbocharged, mild hybrid four-cylinder. It makes 325 horsepower (a bit more than the base GT's 296 hp) and 332 lb-ft of torque, and it sends power to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

It felt best to start out in Comfort mode, one of three settings that modify the suspension stiffness, throttle response, eagerness of the transmission, and exhaust note. Wouldn't you know it, the Grecale is actually a sumptuous cruiser. In this mode, the Grecale soaks up LA's rutted pavement without issue, undue waft or float. The transmission is a little lazy, and burying your right foot brings about some nonchalant downshifts. But we're in Comfort, and if you want to take it easy on your day-to-day commute, the Grecale will happily oblige.

We also had the chance to test the Grecale's adaptive cruise control functions in LA traffic, and we're happy to report the system is well on par with its rivals. It keeps tight gaps to the cars in front and rarely bings or bongs with an annoying warning. All the safety systems work well, in fact. The 360-degree view parking camera array keeps you from curbing your 21-inch wheels and the blind-spot warning system politely keeps you from running others off the road. It's a no fuss affair, as it should be.

When it's time to turn the wick up a bit, we skipped right over GT — the Grecale's second mode, which is so similar to Comfort the two can hardly be separated in normal driving — and straight into Sport. The exhaust gets a bit more character, the transmission flips the switch from lazy to sassy, the whole car feels more up on its toes. Using the big metal paddles behind the wheel becomes so tempting it borders on compulsory, and the eight-speed responds with only the shortest of delays. The suspension supposedly stiffens up, too, but the difference was so minor it was almost imperceptible, a welcome change from other cars with sport modes that unnecessarily want to loosen your fillings.

Should you find yourself in the mood to hoon your crossover, the Grecale delivers. Downshifts are sharp, the engine is responsive and you never feel short on grunt. The steering isn't the most direct rack, and the Grecale doesn't turn in quite as crisply as we'd want, but this isn't the high-performance model and doesn't ride on sticky summer tires. Even so, our tester's all-seasons felt grippy enough, and working your way into tight bends and wiggling your way out as the AWD shuffles power to the rear end is more than enough fun to make up for any lack of outright stick.

The verdict

Maserati has delivered the all-round package with the Grecale. It's fun to drive whether you get the big engine or not, has plenty of space, packs a ton of usable fresh tech, and is let down only by its ergonomic niggles (a quirk Maserati lovers might be happy to overlook anyway). The only other thing that might give prospective buyers pause is the price. At $89,055 as tested, the Grecale isn't cheap (and the Trofeo model can be priced to nearly $135,000). But if you want to break away from the doldrum of equally-as-expensive German SUVs that litter our roads, the Grecale is more than just another option — it might just be the way to go.

Edmunds says

With the MC20, the GranTurismo, and now the Grecale leading the way for Maserati, it's safe to say the Italian carmaker is finally out of the shadows and entering its prime.